HeMan and the Summoning Jewels
by burgstel
Summary: The evil Skeletor has found one of the legendary summoning jewels and plans to unite them in his latest attempt to defeat He-Man and learn the secrets of Castle Gray-Skull.
1. Chapter 1  It Begins

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of Fan Fiction. It is not intended for profit. This work is solely for fun and for the fans of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. All characters, locations, cities etc. in this work are the sole property of their creators.

HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (FAN FICTION)

THE SUMMONING JEWELS

CHAPTER 1

It was another typical day on the dark side of Eternia, near the great mountain known to all inhabitants as Snake Mountain. Thunder rumbled and lighting flashed above the Mountain in the sky above, making the mountain look sinister and evil. That fact alone would cause most Eternians to avoid the place as being a superstitious lot, but in reality Snake Mountain was the Headquarters of an evil being known throughout Eternia as Skeletor. He was renowned for being a much feared, powerful sorcerer and he was the most evil being of this age. At that very moment he was hatching yet another evil scheme for him to take over Eternia.

"He-Man, He-Man, He-Man!" Skeletor wailed as he thumped the arm of his throne that he was sitting on. "Curse the muscle bound do-gooder! He always gets in my way! He is the only obstacle to me learning the secrets of Castle Greyskull and gaining absolute power!" Skeletor paused for a moment then continued to talk to himself

"I must defeat He-Man! Only he can stand in my way and once he's gone nothing will be able to stop me. But how do I beat someone as strong as that muscle bound oaf?" Skeletor paused and began to think, trying to come up with another scheme which will let him achieve this goal. While Skeletor was preoccupied, he didn't notice Evil-Lyn and Beast Man had entered the chamber and approached the throne. Beast Man coughed to clear his throat.

"Mighty Skeletor, I have some good news." Beast Man growled. Skeletor looked up and replied,

"What is it you flea bitten fur face? This had better be important! Can't you see I'm busy with thinking of a way to defeat He-Man?"

"Oh but it is Lord Skeletor" Beast Man grovelled then continued "perhaps Evil Lyn can fill in the details."

"Oh she can, can she? Well hurry up and tell me this news! And I'm warning you, this better not be a waste of my time." Skeletor said, as he picked up his havoc staff off the ground and waved it menacingly in front of Beast Man's face. The ram's skull on the tip of the staff started to glow with evil power, causing Beast Man to cower in fear.

"Beast Man is right, Skeletor!" Evil-Lyn chimed in and Skeletor turned to look at her.

"Have a look at this! With this you can finally beat He-Man! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Evil Lyn laughed as she held up a small blue jewel, brimming with an evil glow and radiating powerful magic.

"Is this what I think it is Evil Lyn?" Skeletor asked as he inspected the jewel.

"Yes! We finally have found one. It is one of legendary Summoning Jewels!" Evil Lyn replied as she handed the jewel over to Skeletor's outstretched hand.

"YES!" Skeletor yelled as he held the jewel in his clinched fist "With this jewel I can finally defeat He-Man once and for all! But wait…..Evil Lyn you said that this was one of the legendary jewels, correct?"

"Yes, why do you ask Mighty Skeletor?" Beast Man interrupted before Evil Lyn had a chance to reply.

"Listen to me you dull witted fur face" Skeletor replied now with a hint of anger and the eye sockets in his skull glowed a deep, dark and dangerous red causing Beast Man to again cower in fear again at his Master's fury.

"If there is one such jewel such as this, then it goes to reason that there may be more of them! Think of it Evil Lyn. With all the summoning jewels in our possession we can finally crush He-Man and learn the secrets of Castle Grayskull! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,ha!"

Skeletor's laughter rang out and echoed through the vast halls of Snake Mountain, as the thunder continued to rumble outside and lightning continued to lash out from the dark sky. Evil Lyn and Beast Man joined in with Skeletor's laughter and once again an evil plan was formed with the goal being the destruction of He-Man and the capture of Castle Grayskull!

The sun was shining brightly over the City of Eternos and there was no sign of any of the dark clouds that had gathered over Snake Mountain. The sky was a crystal clear blue, and the day was a balmy 25 degrees. Over in the Royal Gardens near the Palace, Prince Adam was walking towards a pond with a fishing rod in one hand and a pillow in the other. Cringer was as usual tagging along with his best friend.

"Isn't it a beautiful day Cringer?" Adam asked as he reached down and patted Cringer "what a great day for some fishing."

Adam reached the pond and settled down next to a tree and cringer lay down next to him.

Cringer yawned then said "yes it is but if you ask me I could do with some more sleep."

"Yeah I know but we can't spend the whole day inside on a day like this" Adam replied as he cast his fishing line into the pond.

"Besides we might get lucky today and actually catch something!"

"Well, let me know when you've caught some nice tasty fish" Cringer replied as he began to lick his whiskers and chops at the thought of a tasty fish meal "but till then I'm going to catch some more shut eye."

"You do that old buddy." Adam replied as he gently patted Cringer's head.

Adam cast the fishing line into the pond, and then settled back leaning against the tree with the pillow beneath his head. Within minutes, Adam had become bored and started to doze off. Next to him Cringer was purring and already fast asleep. Then all of a sudden something blocked out the sun and a shadow appeared over Adam.

"Well I thought I would find you here!" said a feminine and definitely angry sounding voice. The sound of the mysterious voice woke Adam up, who looked up and then suddenly felt guilty and started to flush in embarrassment.

"Oh. Hi there Teela. Is anything wrong?"

"Is anything wrong?" Teela replied with her hands firmly planted on her hips and with a frustrated look on her face.

"I'll tell you what's wrong, Adam. You missed your training session and here I find you just loafing around."

"Hey I just thought it's such a beautiful day there would be plenty of time for training later." Adam replied with a slightest trace of chagrin.

"Adam, need I remind you that you are heir to the throne of while your sister is away on Etheria, the sole remaining heir to the throne, I might add. You have to take your duties and responsibilities more seriously."

"I do Teela!"

"Then why don't you starting showing it instead of loafing around!" exclaimed a now angry and agitated Teela, who fists were now clinched at her sides.

"Is something the matter here?" asked deep and mature voice. Teela turned around in surprise. She was so busy arguing with Adam, she had failed to notice someone had approached her. She turned around and looked straight at her father, Man at Arms.

"Father, what are you doing here?"

"I came out here to check out what all the commotion was about. What is going on here Teela? Adam?"

"It's nothing really Man at Arms. Nothing much at all." Answered a clearly flustered, Prince Adam.

"Well Teela?" Man at Arms asked his daughter.

"I was trying to get Adam to take his duties and responsibilities more seriously Father."

"I see."

Man at Arms looked back down at Adam and noticed the pillow and the fishing rod. Adam saw the evaluating glace of Man at Arms and started to flush red.

"Aren't you supposed to be training with Teela this morning Adam?" Man at Arms asked the prince after a brief pause.

"Well…I though it was such a nice day I would enjoy the sun for a bit."

"Typical." whispered Teela underneath her breath.

"What was that?" Man at Arms queried.

"Nothing."

"You know Adam, Teela is right. You should be paying more attention to your duties and especially your training. You never know when Skeletor and his henchmen could attack next."

Adam looked abashed at the admonishment that his mentor gave him. Teela started to grin and before she had the chance to enjoy her triumph, Man at Arms turned to his daughter and addressed her,

"And Teela, whether you are right or not about Adam missing training a Captain of the Guards should show more restraint and respect when addressing the Crown Prince and heir to the throne of Eternia. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Father."

"Good. I expect you two will behave yourselves now. I am heading back to my lab; I have some important business to finish."

"Do you need a hand Father?" Teela asked.

"No not right now. Perhaps you and Adam can resume training."

"Ok Father. Alright, your highness. Let's go get some practice." Teela said as she grabbed Adam by the wrist and started dragging him towards the guard's training grounds.

"Ok Ok! Guess I have no choice. Let go of my arm! Hey!"

With that Teela and Adam headed off, leaving Cringer alone sleeping by the tree. Cringer woke up suddenly and looked around to find Adam gone.

"Hey where did Adam go? And what happened to my lunch!"

Man at Arms was busy in his workshop muttering to himself while working upon his latest invention. He picked up a nearby screwdriver from the top of his work bench and began making adjustments to his invention. His invention was a small, compact device, roughly the size of a person's palm and resembled what Earthling's would term a "mobile phone". But as it was Man at Arm's latest invention, there was no way on Eternia that it would be such a simple device.

"Can I give you a hand there Man at Arms?" asked a small, squeaky voice from the open doorway of Man at Arm's work shop. The question broke Man at Arm's train of thought, and he turned away from the bench and looked towards the doorway.

"Orko! What are you doing here?"

"Nothing much Man at Arms. I was wondering if I could help?" asked the small wizard.

"No thanks Orko. I have just about finished my latest invention."

"What does it do Man at Arms?"

"Why it is a portable force field generator Orko. It could be very handy if I can manage to work out all the bugs. And it would help our soldiers out greatly against Skeletor."

"That sounds great Man at Arms. Is it nearly finished?"

"Almost Orko. I was hoping He-Man might be able to help me test it. Speaking of He-Man, have you seen Adam?"

"Yeah, he's outside at the guards grounds, practicing his sword skills with Teela."

"Hmmm. Guess he took my advice."

And with that, Man at Arms turned his attention back to his portable force field generator, unawares that Orko's attention had been drawn to yet another of Man at Arm's inventions on another workbench. It was a small metal backpack like object, with a couple of straps and a few control switches on a side panel.

"Hey Man at Arms, what does this gadget do?" Orko asked as he went to touch the controls. Man at Arms turned around and looked at Orko in horror,

"Orko! Don't touch that! That gadget is my Rocket pack Invention! It's very dangerous so be careful!"

But unfortunately, Man at Arm's warning had come too late. As he shouted out, Orko had already pushed the start button on the Rocket pack, causing the invention to shoot up suddenly from where it was lying on the workbench and began to fly around the workshop randomly. The machine was out of control and span around in the air wildly. A couple of times both Man at Arms and Orko had to duck for cover as the rocket pack continued on it's out of control course. Eventually the rocket pack ran out of fuel. But it still had enough Kinetic energy and it continued for a while before crashing in one of Man at Arms' shelves and destroyed the shelf and all the spare glass containers that were being stored on it.

"ORKO!" Man at Arms roared.

"Opps." Was all the abashed young Trollen could say, after he surveyed the damage he had inflicted upon Man at Arms' once orderly workshop.

"Is something the matter here Duncan?" came another voice from the doorway. Man at Arms turned around and saw that it was his liege King Randor, who was looking quite amused at the carnage that had been wrecked within the workshop.

"Nothing is the matter sire. It was just a minor hiccup, nothing more to worry about."

"Okay, as long as everyone is all right."

"We're fine your majesty. No one got hurt."

"Very well then. Guess I had better let you get back to it Duncan."

"Thank you your majesty."

With that, King Randor left Orko and Man at Arms alone in the workshop.

"Do you need a hand to clean up this mess Man at Arms?" asked a nervous Orko.

"ORKO!"

"Ok, ok! I've done enough helping for one day!" and with that Orko floated back out of the workshop to leave Man at Arms alone with the wreckage of the Rocket pack, the destroyed shelf and the broken glass containers. Man at Arms looked up at the roof and asked no one in particular,

"Elders, why me?"

END OF CHAPTER ONE


	2. Chapter 2  The Attack

CHAPTER TWO

Elsewhere in Eternia, a strange skull shaped ship soared through the clear sky, making a sonic boom where it went as it was flying at the ship's maximum velocity. In side the ship, known and feared by all Eternian's as the Collector, Skeletor was sitting in the command chair piloting the ship, with his henchman Beast Man and the witch Evil Lyn standing behind or at the side of Skeletor. Evil Lyn and Beast man looked at the view finder on the control panel of the vessel and saw that Skeletor was headed for a small village just past Evergreen Forest.

"Why are we heading for that village Skeletor? There's nothing of value there." Growled Beast Man.

"Of course not you fool. But if this summoning jewel is truly what you and Evil Lyn says it is, then I should test it to make sure of its powers." Skeletor replied.

"So how do you plan on testing it then? Such a village is a worthless target." Evil Lyn added.

"Normally it would be Evil Lyn. But there is something interesting about this village. I feel a strange power coming from it. A magic that feels very similar to this jewel…."Skeletor added and showed his evil allies the jewel, which now was glowing a dark, evil and red light.

"That means there may be another summoning jewel in that village!" Evil Lyn said quite sharply.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha! Precisely Evil Lyn!"

"But what if they don't want to give us the jewel Skeletor?" Beast Man asked.

"Then we'll take it by force with this jewel! I'll show them what the consequences are for those who oppose me, the mighty Skeletor! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Skeletor laughed as he piloted the Collector on a direct course for the small Eternian Village.

Unawares that certain doom was approaching their village from the sky, the people of the small village of Cisco, just past Evergreen Forest, were going about their daily lives. Adults were selling or buying goods at the local market, kids were running around the street playing and story tellers were telling tales to small gathered crowds. Suddenly a huge roared sounded up in the sky, directly above the village. It was Skeleton's Collector and it began firing upon the village. First it targeted some of the village huts which set them on fire. This sent the village people into a panic and they began to run away wildly. Parents grabbed their children protectively and tried to take them to safety as Skeletor continued to keep blasting the village.

"This is too easy! They aren't putting up any resistance at all!" Evil Lyn commented.

"Grrrr and soon the summoning jewel will be ours." Muttered Beast Man. Skeletor turned around and glared at Beast Man.

"It will be whose Beast Man?" Skeletor asked and his eye sockets glowered at Beast Man.

"I mean it will be yours, Mighty Skeletor." Beast Man grovelled as he cowered in fear. "Yes, it will be mine! All mine!" Skeletor remarked then turned back to his controls. By now all the village people had fled from the village to the relative safety of the Evergreen Forest. The village was deserted when Skeletor landed the Collector in the middle of the town. The side hatch opened and Skeletor, Beast Man and Evil Lyn exited the ship.

"Well Skeletor, how are we supposed to find this summoning jewel? It could be just about anyway?" Evil Lyn asked.

"Have patience, my dear Evil Lyn. Finding it will be easy enough. The summoning jewel you gave me seems to glow with stronger magic as we near it. So we shall let this jewel lead us to the other one!" and with that, Skeletor lead his henchmen with the other summoning jewel in his hand. After a while, the evil villains appeared in front of an old village statue that was on the far side of the village. The statue was radiating power and the evil Skeletor and Evil Lyn could both feel it.

"At Last! We have found it! The summoning jewel must be somewhere here on this statue!" Evil Lyn stated.

"Not on the Statue Evil Lyn. The Jewel is inside it!" Skeletor corrected her.

Skeletor held the Jewel up and pointed it to the statue. The Jewel started to glow a bright blue a beam of magic pulsed out and hit the statue. The statue started to glow blue as well.

"It's working! It's working! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Skeletor laughed manically. All of a sudden the Statue started to crack and then it crumbled into many pieces. Skeletor then bent over and searched through the rumble before standing straight up again, this time with two identical Jewels in his hand.

"I have another summoning Jewel! Soon Castle Greyskull and all of its secrets shall be mine!" Skeletor then turned around with both jewels in his hand and head back towards the Collector. Beast Man and Evil Lyn followed him.

"Ah, how many of these Jewels are there Skeletor?" asked a puzzled Beast Man.

"Good question Beast Man.(_for once thought Skeletor) _Evil Lyn would you care to answer that?"

"Most certainly, Skeletor. According to the legends there should be four such Jewels. When all four Jewels are collected they form one large jewel. One that has powerful enough magic to summon demons!"

"And those Demons will spell the end of that accursed He-Man! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Laughed Skeletor. The Villains proceeded to board the Collector. It then took off, headed for the location of the 3rd Summoning Jewel.

The frightened people of the village Cisco were now huddled together in the relative safety of Evergreen Forest, hiding amongst a large group of bushes and undergrowth, patiently waiting for Skeletor's Collector to leave. The Village Elder was sitting by a large tree quietly waiting for Skeletor's attack to finish, when he was approach by a teenaged boy.

"Why is Skeletor attacking our village, Elder Charles?" asked the boy.

"Good question Taylor my lad! But I'm afraid I don't know any better than you. Our village is quite poor and we don't have any valuables."

"But Skeletor must have something in mind Elder. Why would he bother attacking us in the first place? We haven't done anything to him!"

"I know son. But Skeletor is quite evil and I'm not entirely convinced he's sane."

"What should we do then?"

"We need to get help my boy. We can't fight Skeletor by ourselves. All the men in our village are only honest farmers. They aren't warriors, and Skeletor's henchmen would cut them to ribbons. And I shudder to think what Skeletor himself would do to them." The elder paused for a second and gestured for the boy to listen. The sounds of the Collector still blasting the village continued on in the distance.

"That sounds almost like Skeletor is trying to destroy the entire village Elder!" Taylor exclaimed.

"Yes. It sounds pretty serious. By the time help comes, our entire village could already be destroyed." Elder Charles agreed.

"Wait, maybe King Randor could send some guards or maybe contact He-Man?"

"Now there's a good idea. Eternos City is not too far away. But we would need someone quick to get out the message for help."

"Let me go Elder." Taylor pleaded.

"Hmmm." Elder Charles pondered a bit then continued "Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Of course, Elder! I know I wouldn't be able to fight those evil villains, but I can't just stay here and do nothing to help. And besides, I'm the quickest runner in the whole village!" Taylor said with pride.

"Very well then, young Taylor. Make haste and I will pray for your success." And with that Andre turned and ran towards Eternos City via the Evergreen Forest, hoping to get help for his village, before Skeletor turned it into complete rubble.

CLANG! The yard echoed with the sword of Teela's sword hitting Adam's shield. Adam and Teela had been sparring for the better part of the last hour or so. Adam was starting to sweat and puff a bit, while Teela didn't seem to be much affected at all and that fact started to get on Adam's nerves. His pet Cringer wasn't doing anything as exerting. He was quietly lying down on the ground near a stone bench, quietly observing Teela and Adam spar.

"Can we take a break now Teela?" Adam asked as he managed to parry yet another of Teela's well aimed blows.

"What? You just took a break 15 minutes ago Adam!" Teela replied as she easily managed to parry Adam's return blow without too much difficulty.

"Come on Teela! My arms are getting tired." Adam complained.

"You need more exercise!" Teela replied as she managed to knock Adam's sword out of his hand.

"I win again!" Teela said in triumph.

"You're too good Teela. I will never be able to beat you." Adam complained as he started to sulk.

"With that attitude and a lack of practice you never will Adam. You really should practice more and have more belief in yourself." Teela soothed the frustrated Prince.

"That's easy for you to say Teela, but…" Adam trailed off as he picked up his sword then noticed that Man at Arms had been observing them, just a few meters away.

"Not bad Teela. That was a very good move. You too, Adam. You're improving. Teela took longer to beat this time."

"Yeah but she's still winning." Adam remarked.

"Well you just need more practice and self confidence, just as my daughter said."

"I guess so Man at Arms."

"Well perhaps you…" Man at Arms didn't have an opportunity to finish what he was about to say, as the small wizard known as Orko had floated over to the group from the palace.

"Hey, Man at Arms! Come quick! King Randor has asked me to summon you to the throne room!" Orko said excitedly.

"What's wrong Orko?" asked a concerned Man at Arms.

"It's Skeletor Man at Arms! He's attacking the small village of Cisco nearby the Evergreen Forest!"

"Skeletor!" Teela said, startled.

"What's Skeletor attacking the Cisco Village? It's just a poor farming town. There shouldn't be anything of value there!" Adam wondered.

"I don't know Adam, but I'll go and meet with the king. Teela, you better go and summon the guards. But be alert because this could be just a trick to lure the guards away from the palace!" Man at Arms ordered.

"Right away, Father!" Teela responded as she ran away to the alert the royal guards.

"And I better summon someone who would be a much bigger help in a situation like this." Adam stated. Both Man at Arms and Duncan nodded. Cringer then looked up from where he was quietly lying and he saw what Adam was about to do.

"Oh no, I hope you're not going to do what I think you're going to do! I don't really want to be that horrible Battle-Cat today. Besides, I didn't get my fish." Cringer complained.

"Sorry Cringer, but He-Man and Battle-Cat are needed. I'll promise you that you'll get your fish later." Adam replied.

Adam then looked around the surrounding area to check if anyone else was walking by. The coast was clear, so Adam unsheathed his sword and held it aloft above his head. Then he said the magic words,

"BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL!" Adam yelled in a much deeper voice then he would normally have. As soon as Adam said those magic words, he was engulfed in a bright light and was surrounded by the powerful energies of the elders. Adam was no longer in the courtyard but standing in front of Castle Grayskull!

Then one moment later, Adam disappeared only to be transformed into He-Man, the most powerful man of the universe!

"I HAVE THE POWER!" He-Man yelled as he held his power sword with both hands. He-Man pointed his sword at Cringer, who began to shake in fear. Suddenly a bolt of power surged from the sword and struck Cringer. Like Adam, Cringer was engulfed in the bright light of the elder's power. Suddenly, Cringer was transferred from a timid tiger, into the form of the mighty Battle-Cat!

"ROARRRRRR!" Growled Battle-Cat.

He-Man and Battle-Cat both appeared in the courtyard next to Man at Arms and Orko, as if they had never left. He-Man jumped into the saddle on Battle-Cat.

"It's time we went and saw the King, Duncan and find out what Skeletor is up to this time."

"I'm right with you there He-Man." Man at Arms agreed.

With He-Man, Battle-Cat, Man at Arms and Orko all headed to King Randor's throne room. When they approached the throne, King Randor was sitting in his throne next to Queen Marlena, but below them was a teenaged boy, covered in dust and dirt.

"He-Man! Thank goodness you're here! Skeletor is up to his usual no good tricks!" King Randor greeted He-Man.

"Skeletor? I wonder what that villain is up to this time." He-Man asked.

"I'm not really sure myself, but young Taylor here has been explaining what is going on. Perhaps he would be kind enough to fill you in He-Man." King Randor replied as he gestured towards the teenaged boy.

"Sure thing your Highness!" Taylor said eagerly.

"Hello there, I'm He-Man. What seems to be going on Taylor?"

"It's Skeletor, He-Man! He's attacking our village of Cisco, He-Man as we speak! It's absolutely horrible!" Taylor sniffed as he was trying to hold back tears. "Skeletor seems to be destroying everything in sight and we aren't able to do anything to stop him!"

"I see. Don't worry son, I'll put a stop to it!"

"Really? Thanks a lot He-Man. Elder Charles said it's not really the village Skeletor is after. But we don't have anything of value there. So what can Skeletor be after?"

"I don't know son. Duncan do you have any ideas?"

"I'm puzzled as you are He-Man. But I guess we will deal with Skeletor and whatever plan he has when we get there. Orko and I will help you to make sure that villain doesn't get his own way." Man at Arms added.

"Well let's go Duncan. You'd better take the wind raider."

"Right away He-Man. Me and Orko will meet you at Cisco!"

And with that, the heroes headed off to do battle with Skeletor. Man at Arms and Orko in the wind raider, with He-Man riding upon the back of Battle-Cat. All of them were thinking along the way why Skeletor would bother attacking a poor, farming village in the first place.

While He-Man and his friends were flying off to rescue the village of Cisco, the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull was quietly sitting on her throne within the hallowed halls of Castle Greyskull deep in thought. She had psychically picked up on a disturbance and wondered what in Eternia could be happening.

"Something is not right. I sense a disturbance caused by dark powers. Skeletor must be up to something. But what could he be up to?" The sorceress asked herself. The sorceress decided to contact He-Man telepathically.

"_He-Man, I sense a great disturbance and I fear that Skeletor is up to his usual tricks. You must be careful!" _ The sorceress warned He-Man mentally.

"_I hear you Sorceress." _He-Man replied. "_I am riding to the village of Cisco as we speak. Skeletor is attacking that village."_

"_The village of Cisco you say? The name sounds familiar but why… HE-MAN ! Skeletor is after the legendary summoning jewels of Lucifer. You must exercise extreme caution!" _The Sorceress warned.

"_The summoning jewels of Lucifer? I thought they were a myth!"_

"_No, they are quite real." _The sorceress corrected He-Man. "_Long ago, a powerful warlock named Deslock created one large magic jewel in his insane bid for power. This jewel enabled him to summon a demon of immense magical and physical strength that went by the name of Lucifer. Deslock intended to enslave the demon and take over Eternia."_

"_But I gather that didn't happen." _He-Man stated.

"_No. Lucifer was too powerful to control and once the Demon was summoned he prompted killed the one who had summoned him. Fortunately, the Elders knew of this threat and used their powers to banish the Demon back to his demonic realm. They then split the jewel into four separate jewels. Theses were then hidden all around Eternia in hidden locations, so that no one else could emulate Deslock. One of those Jewels was hidden in an old statue in the village that Skeletor is now attacking!" The _Sorceress explained.

"_So that's Skeletor's plan. He's after the jewels so he can reassemble the larger jewel. And he knows he can get one from the village of Cisco!"_

"_Yes and you must stop Skeletor at all costs He-Man!"_

"_Do you know where the other crystals are Sorceress?"_

"_Yes He-Man. One of the crystals is at a temple at the sands of time, one is hidden at the crystal sea, one is at the village of Cisco, however I'm afraid the location of the forth jewel has been lost?"_

"_Lost?"_

"_Yes. Apparently, the knowledge of the location of the forth crystal was lost when the elders left Eternia. However, I have my suspicions as well as some unsettling rumours."_

"_What kind of rumours Sorceress?"_

"_That the forth Crystal was hidden at Snake Mountain He-Man."_

"_Snake Mountain! Well that explains a lot Sorceress. If Skeletor found one at his head quarters he would very much like to search for the others once he found out what he had found."_

"_Precisely, He-Man. And I'm afraid there are couple of other problems."_

"_I have a bad feeling about this. You better let me have the bad news."_

"_I'm sorry He-Man, but I'm afraid the jewels are all linked magically together. Any one of the jewels will grow stronger as it nears any of the others."_

"_This means that if Skeletor had just a single crystal he could use it to find the others!"_

"_Yes. But getting the crystals won't be easy. They are all guarded."_

"_Guarded by whom Sorceress?"_

"_Not whom He-Man. What. The elders knew that someone day, people would come after the jewels so they put magical guardians in the jewels' resting places to guard those jewels."_

"_What kind of guardians exactly? And what about the village of Cisco? Is there a guardian there too?"_

"_Strangely there is not He-Man. I am not too sure why, but for some reason if the jewel is there, it has been left undefended. As for what kind of guardians that you may face, I'm sorry He-Man but I do not know. That knowledge has also been lost. You must be careful. Elders only know what dangers that await you."_

"_Don't worry, Sorceress, I'll put an end to his devilish plan!" _He-Man vowed as he cut off from the Sorceress' thoughts.

The Sorceress was left to her own thoughts and worries inside Castle Grey-Skull, and quietly prayed for He-Man's success. For if he failed, the whole of Eternia was doomed. For not even Skeletor would have the power to control Lucifer. And if that Demon was free again, there would be no stopping it as the Elders were no longer around to banish it.

END OF CHAPTER TWO


	3. Chapter 3 The Aftermath

CHAPTER THREE

He-Man and Battle-Cat arrived at the Village of Cisco supported by Man at Arms and Orko in the wind raider. Unfortunately, our heroes were too late. Skeletor had already come and gone, and the whole village had been devastated. Our heroes looked around at all the huts that had been burnt to the ground, the smouldering ruins of the nearby crops and the shattered statue at the other side of the village. The villagers of the town were just coming out of Evergreen Forest looking around anxiously, then started to look a bit happier when they caught sight of He-Man and his friends.

"My lord, what a mess." Remarked Man-at-Arms.

"You are quite right there, Man-at-Arms. Even when my room is messy it's nowhere as near as bad as this!" Orko remarked.

"You can say that again Orko!"

"You are quite right there…."

"Ah Orko, I think Duncan was just using a figure of speech." He-Man added.

"Oh. What's a figure of speech?"

He-Man's only response to Orko's question was a small sigh.

While the heroes were walking around the village and surveying the damage caused by Skeletor and his evil henchmen Beast Man and Evil Lyn, an elderly villager walked up and approached the heroes.

"Excuse me, but would you happen to be He-Man?" The elderly gent asked politely.

"Of course, I am He-Man. We came as quick as we could, but obviously we were too late."

"That's okay He-Man. The important thing is that you're here now. My name is Ron-ta Charles, I am the Elder of this village. Since you're all here, it appears that young Taylor reached the Palace safely."

"Yes indeed. He is quite a brave lad, not to mention a quick runner. He'll be staying at the Palace for a while, at least till this emergency is over."

"I am glad to hear that he will be safe He-Man. But do you have any idea why Skeletor would launch such an unprovoked attack against our village?" Elder Charles asked He-Man.

"Yes, I'm afraid Skeletor is after the summoning jewels." He-Man answered the Elder.

"The summoning jewels? The summoning jewels of Lucifer? I thought they were only a legend!" The elder remarked, alarmed at this revelation.

"I'm afraid not. But don't worry we'll put an end to Skeletor's evil plan, you have my word on that." He-Man soothed the alarmed elder.

"Thanks you He-Man. We will pray to the Elders for your success."

He-Man paused for a minute to look around the village to inspect the damage again, and was angered at what he saw. Skeletor was indeed up to his usual dirty tricks and wouldn't rest until he had conquered Eternia. As usual, it was the innocent who suffered at the hands of Skeletor and his evil minions. He-Man then noticed both Man-At-Arms and Orko had both walked off some distance towards the edge of the village, and were inspecting some stone ruins. He-Man walked over to them, with Elder Charles following closely behind.

"Anything there Duncan?" He-Man asked.

"I'm sorry He-Man, but there is nothing here apart from the ruins of this ancient statue."

"I see, I guess we are too late. Looks like Skeletor has got his hands on another summoning jewel." He-Man said grimly.

"Yeah, but he hasn't got them all yet He-Man!" Orko said, attempting to lift He-Man's spirits "There is still time to catch up with him if we only knew which direction he was headed."

"Yes, thanks for the reminder Orko. The Sorceress mentioned that one of the other summoning jewels was at the Crystal Sea and the other was hidden in a temple at the Sands of Time. If we knew which direction Skeletor went, then we would have a fair idea where to go next." He-Man answered, his spirits all ready improved by Orko.

"Perhaps I can help you there He-Man." Elder Charles said, and He-Man looked at him.

"Indeed?"

"Yes. While we were hiding in Evergreen Forest to stay away from that fiend Skeletor, I was sort of curious about why he was attacking our village. Now that I know that he is after the summoning jewels, I know that is the reason why our poor village became our target. But at the time I didn't know so I just settled on observing the fiend's activities."

"What did you see Elder?" asked He-Man.

"Well I witnessed all the destruction that fiend caused for starters!" Elder Charles stated angrily "but after the fiend had his fun, he then managed to destroy this statue and take a small blue jewel."

"That must be one of the summoning jewels." Man-At-Arms added.

"Yes." Elder Charles continued "then I saw Skeletor and his two henchmen get back into that Collector of theirs and they flew over in that direction." Elder Charles said as he pointed to a mountain range to the far east of the Village.

"He's going in the direction of the Crystal Sea!" Orko remarked.

"Yes, you quite right there Orko." Man-At-Arms chimed in.

"Thank you for your assistance Elder Charles. We'll put an end to this villains plot. You have my word on that."

"Thank you again He-Man. And good hunting!" Elder Charles said.

Man-At-Arms and Orko quickly moved back to the Wind Raider, while He-Man jumped onto the saddle on Battle-Cat's back. He-Man looked towards the mountain ranges that were out in the distance and noticed black clouds over the horizon. He-Man wondered what dangers could wait them on their journey and what sort of nasty tricks of Skeletor's would also be waiting for them.

"I think its time we got a move on! Let's go Battle-Cat!" He-Man stated.

"ROARRRRRRRRR! I'm right with you there He-Man, let's get that madman." Roared Battle-Cat.

"Are you ready there Duncan?" He-Man asked, just as Man-At-Arms powered up the Wind Raider, and it began to take off.

"Ready to go He-Man, and not a moment too soon."

"Yes. The whole of Eternia is now in peril. To the Crystal Sea!" He-Man yelled as he rode away upon the back of Battle-Cat.

The heroes set off on their quest, hot on the heels of the evil Skeletor. Can the heroes stop Skeletor's evil plan in time, before Skeletor unleashes a power he may want to wish he had never heard of, let alone unleashed from its magical prison? Many thoughts ran through He-Man's as they headed for the Mountains, not of least was the possibility that could they still prevail even if they were too late? And what would happen to Eternia if they could not.

While Eternia's greatest champion and his companions were on their way to the Crystal Sea, Skeletor and his henchmen had already arrived at that location and had set down the Collector near a sheer Crystal Wall on the western side of the mountains. Skeletor had been using both summoning jewels he had obtained to track the next jewel and he was certain that the jewel he was after was in their immediate vicinity. Evil Lyn was by Skeletor's side as the pair examined the sheer Crystal wall that was blocking their way. Beast-Man however, had been sent back to the Collector to get a crate for Skeletor. Skeletor looked back at the Collector in impatience at waiting and saw Beast-Man finally exit the Collector, carrying the crate.

"Hurry up you flea bitten fur face! I haven't got all day." Skeletor yelled at Beast-Man.

"Coming Lord Skeletor!" Beast-Man replied and continued to carry a large unmarked crate towards his Master.

"Perhaps you should give dumb animal a hand Evil Lyn." Skeletor suggested as he turned and looked at Evil Lyn, who was standing by his side.

"Of course Skeletor!" remarked Evil Lyn as she held up her magic staff in the air and chanted,

"Powers of Darkness and might, lends us strength to carry this dead weight!"

All of a sudden the crate that Beast-Man was carrying, glowed with an evil power. Suddenly it jerked free from Beast-Man's grasp and floated in the air. It then levitated its way towards Skeletor, and it promptly landed on the ground right at Skeletor's feet.

"Well done Evil Lyn! I'm glad some of my henchmen can carry out my orders without making a mess of things." A pleased Skeletor told Evil Lyn.

"It was no problem Skeletor." Evil Lyn said.

"Grrrr" Growled Beast-Man underneath his breath "some day you won't get away with treating me like this Skeletor. Some day…"

"What was that Fur face?"

"Nothing at all, mighty Skeletor!"

"I though so."

Skeletor turned his attention away from the sheepish looking Beast-Man and turned it towards the crate that was now at his feet. With a blast of magic from an outstretched palm, Skeletor used his powers to blast the lid off the crate. Skeletor then reached inside the crate and took out a mechanical device that was attached to three tripod legs. Skeletor then set up the device in front of the crystal wall that was near him and Evil Lyn.

"What's that device for Skeletor?" Beast-Man asked nervously, not wanting to risk his Master's wrath any further than he already had.

"This is a Crystal Laser Beast-Man, built by Try-Clops back at Snake Mountain. This machine will allow us to cut through the Crystal walls here at the Crystal Sea that would be otherwise nearly indestructible." Skeletor answered his dim witted henchman.

"Evil Lyn, the jewels are gaining strength near this area so the third jewel must be nearby. Start the Crystal drill and begin the drilling at once." Skeletor ordered.

"At once, Skeletor!"

Evil Lyn said as she obeyed Skeletor's orders and started the Crystal drill. She pointed the machine at a spot on the wall and a beam of intense light and heat lashed out from the machine and hit the wall. Within minutes the near indestructible wall began to crack and those cracks were growing even larger as Evil Lyn increased the power output of the Crystal Drill. Soon, a hole began to form in the wall, and all the villains saw that there was some sort of tunnel behind the wall. Shortly, with the hole in the wall big enough to walk through, Evil Lyn stopped the machine and the villains walked up to the entrance that they had made.

"I knew it! The third summoning jewel must be nearby! Soon all of Eternia shall be mine! HA, ha,ha,ha,ha,ha!" Skeletor laughed out loud. But his laughter was shortly rudely interrupted but a rumbling noise behind them. The evil warlock turned around with Evil Lyn and Beast-Man and they noticed that a large, crystal man shaped monster, approximately 8 feet tall was digging its way out of the ground and up on to the surface.

"What is that thing Skeletor?" Beast-Man asked in fear.

"That must be the guardian for the jewel." Skeletor said "and it looks like it's made entirely of the same crystal as this wall. Evil Lyn use the Crystal drill on it at maximum power!" Skeletor ordered as the monster man got itself out of the ground.

"Right away. All right you crystal thing, prepare to bow down before the power of Skeletor!" Evil Lyn yelled at the crystal monster while at the same time powering up the drill and aiming it at the guardian. While Evil Lyn gloated, the crystal man shaped monster continued to approach the intruders.

"Fire Evil Lyn!" Skeletor commanded and Evil Lyn obeyed, with the Crystal Drill set at is maximum fire setting. One moment the Crystal guardian was there, stalking the would be jewel thieves, the next it disintegrated, reduced into nothing more but a pile of smoking rubble and shattered crystals.

"And you thought we wouldn't need this drill fur face! Beast-Man pick up the drill then you and Evil Lyn follow me! The summoning jewel is here and I intend to have it!" Skeletor commanded as he went through the opening in the wall and into the tunnel beyond. Evil Lyn followed, then Beast-Man as he lugged the machine over his shoulder. He almost bumped into Evil Lyn and this prompted Evil Lyn to turn around and scold Beast-Man.

"Careful you fool! If something should happen to that drill, then Skeletor will have both our hides!" Evil Lyn scolded Beast-Man.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"It had better not Beast-Man. I would not like to be the one to face Skeletor's wrath."

"All right, all right! I'll be more careful."

"Fine. Then hurry up, Skeletor is waiting for us."

Evil Lyn and Beast-Man followed Skeletor into the tunnel in the Crystal Mountains. It was almost pitch black in the tunnel, but Skeletor had raised his havoc staff and used his magic to cause his staff to illuminate the tunnel, so the villains could see where they were walking. The tunnel was long, dark and very ancient. Cobwebs covered most of the tunnel's walls and hung down from the roof. Creeping vines were growing out of the ground and were slowing creeping up the tunnel walls. The tunnel it self eventually ended in a small cavern, that had three tunnels leading off from it. One to the North, one to the east and the other to the west. The villains had entered via the south tunnel. Beast-Man pondered his surroundings, scratched his head then asked in puzzlement,

"Ah, which way now Skeletor?" Skeletor took a moment to examine the jewels he was holding then pointed each one in turn at a different exit in the cavern.

"It is this way! Follow me." Skeletor answered as he headed for the north exit.

"Are you sure this is the right way?"

"Of course Beast-Man you dim witted fool! The jewels will show us the way! And they are sense a strong magic coming from this direction. So stopping asking stupid questions and obey my instructions!" Skeletor replied and again he glared at Beast-Man, while his empty eye sockets of his skull glowed a dangerous, fiery red.

"Yes mighty Skeletor!" Beast-Man grovelled in fear at the sight of his Master's anger.

END OF CHAPTER THREE


	4. Chapter 4  The Maze and the Minotaur

CHAPTER FOUR

While the evil villains were busy following the tunnel towards the location of the third summoning jewel, Man-at-Arms had just landed the Wind Raider by the cliff of the Mountains. He-Man had arrived before hand on the back of Battle-Cat and was busy scouting around the area for any possible sign of trouble. He didn't have to search for very long, since he immediately found the remains of the Crystal guardian and the hole blasted into the side of the Mountain by Skeletor's Crystal Drill.

"Hmmm. This looks like Skeletor's handiwork I'm afraid." Man-at-Arms remarked.

"Yes Duncan. See this pile of crystals here? I wonder what it could have been." He-Man asked as he gestured towards the pile of shattered crystals that lay near the hole in the ground from which the guardian had emerged.

"Maybe it was one of the magical guardians that the Sorceress warned you about?" Man-at-Arms suggested.

"You could be right, old friend." He-Man replied as Man-at-Arms took out a small scanner from his pocket and began scanning the pile of crystals.

"This is incredible He-Man. According to my scans, this pile of crystals was blasted apart by a very high intensity laser of incredible power. I've never seen such like it before."

"Then I guess Skeletor has a new toy we should beware of then." He-Man remarked.

"You got that right He-Man. I don't even know if your power sword could even deflect such a bolt of energy of this magnitude." Man-at-Arms warned.

"Let's hope I don't have to find out the hard way then." He-Man said while Battle-Cat was standing by watching the pair examine the crystals.

Orko however, wasn't interested in the crystals. He had floated out of the Wind Raider and moved towards the hole in the side of the Crystal Mountain. He peered through the opening and noticed that there was a tunnel inside the Mountain, that was leading away, through almost pitch black darkness.

"Oh, my goodness. It's a tunnel. It sure looks really dark and spooky. He-Man! Man-at-Arms! Come over here!" Orko shouted excitedly.

Man-at-Arms and He-Man looked over towards the direction where Orko's voice had come from, and noticed that Orko was floating in front of a huge hole in the side of the cliff. Both Man-at-Arms and He-Man decided to walk over to the small wizard to see what he was so excited about, while Battle-Cat trailed behind them.

"What have you found there, Orko?" Man-at-Arms asked.

"It's a tunnel Man-at-Arms! It looks like it goes all the way through underneath these mountains."

"ROARRRR! And it looks like the way Skeletor and his evil henchmen headed off in." Battle-Cat growled.

"Then let's head after them. But first things first." He-Man said as he grabbed a torch off his belt and turned it on "I'm glad we bought these torches along Duncan. That tunnel is awfully dark and who knows what tricks of Skeletor's are awaiting for us."

"You got that right He-Man." Man-at-Arms remarked as he grabbed his own torch off his belt and turned it on as well.

"Okay everyone ready? Let's go and stop this mad man!" He-Man said as he took the lead and entered the tunnel first, followed by Orko, then Man-at-Arms and with Battle-Cat bringing up the rear. The heroes then headed off, running down the tunnel in a race against time and on a quest that could have dire consequences for all of Eternia should they fail.

Skeletor, Evil Lyn and Beast Man had taken the North exit, but this also led to another series of tunnels yet they took another northern tunnel. The villains headed onwards and came out onto a plateau that overlooked a huge cavern. Below them, was a huge series of walls and twisting paths, some half collapsed from age, some leading to dead ends while some of the other paths headed in all directions. Beast-Man looked below at what the villains were seeing and was starting to become even more confused, if such a thing like that was possible.

"What is that in the Cavern below us, Master Skeletor?" Beast-Man asked while Evil Lyn just rolled her eyes as Beast-Man once again proved how great his stupidity was.

"Why you fur faced pea brain! Can't you see it is a maze?" Skeletor snapped.

"A maze?"

"Yes a maze, you fur brain. The Elders wouldn't just leave the summoning jewels around for just anyone to use. The Elders knew of the great power of the jewels so they made sure they were well protected!"

"But how are we going to find our way through that maze?" Evil Lyn asked.

"That is easy, my dear Evil Lyn. We will us the power of these jewels to show us the way, just like we did before at those branching tunnel paths. Ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha!" Laughed Skeletor, as he held up the jewels before him. He then used his magic to levitate all three safely, to the ground below and they stood in front of the entrance to the maze.

"Follow me my faithful minions. As soon as we're through this maze, the third jewel will be in my possession. Ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha!" Skeletor said as he held up one of the summoning jewels in front of him and waited for a few seconds before he headed off, through the entrance of the maze. The evil villains Beast Man and Evil Lyn were content to follow in Skeletor's footsteps in silence as the Lord of Destruction lead them through the maze, aided by the magical properties of the summoning jewel he held in his maze.

After a few corridors which resulted in a few confusing twist and turns, the villains found that their progress was blocked by a towering wall of flame, which completely covered the tunnel from side to side, and was at least 5 meters high. This giant flaming wall of death looked like it might stymie the efforts of the group of villains. Though, Skeletor was looking at the wall with deep suspicion as to the true nature of the fire.

"What do we do now mighty Skeletor?" Asked a nervous Beast-Man. He then mentally prepared himself to suffer his Master's wrath, for asking such a stupid question.

"It looks like a normal fire doesn't it Beast-Man?" Skeletor asked in return.

"It does indeed Master." Replied the Beast-Man.

"Yes Indeed. But something seems a bit off here my minions. What do you make of it Evil Lyn?" Skeletor asked his evil sorceress henchman errrrr henchwoman.

"It indeed looks like a fire Skeletor. I even sense a lot of magic coming from it." The mistress of evil replied.

"But?" Skeletor asked.

"It is strange Skeletor. Even though it is a large fire and there is a great amount of magic to it, I sense or feel no actual heat being generated." Evil Lyn answered.

"What does that mean Skeletor?" Beast-Man interrupted.

"Be quiet fur brain! This is a magical matter, and goes beyond what your feeble mind can understand!" retorted Skeletor to Beast-Man. Beast-Man cowered before his Master's wrath before Evil Lyn took the smallest bit of pity on him.

"But he does raise an interesting point, Lord Skeletor." Evil Lyn stated as she began to explore the matter further.

"Such a large fire in normal circumstances should generate an enormous amount of heat."

"Unless it's a magical fire Evil Lyn and we both can sense the magic coming from this blaze." Replied Skeletor, also known as the Lord of Destruction.

"But Skeletor, even magical fires generate heat. It is one of the most fundamental principals of the universe. Yet this fire, despite its size, generates none."

"I wonder…perhaps this fire isn't really a fire at all!" Announced Skeletor as his suspicions about the fire's true nature began to firm in his mind.

"What do you mean?" A startled Beast-Man and Evil Lyn asked at the same time.

"You disappoint me Evil Lyn. If something magical isn't what it seems, what else can that magical object be?"

"Why of course….it is an illusion!" replied an Evil Lyn who had suddenly understood.

"Very good Evil Lyn! There is hope for you yet! Follow me my minions. There is nothing to fear here." Said Skeletor as he lead the way. Skeletor approached the fire without fear, convinced that he was right about the fire's nature. And sure enough he managed to walk through the blaze without harm. His henchmen, Evil Lyn and Beast-Man had seen their Master walk through the flame and promptly followed suit. And soon the villains began to work their way further into the maze, guided by the magic of Skeletor's summoning jewels.

Eventually, the villains reached the middle of the maze, and sure enough there was the third summoning jewel, set upon a small pillow that was on top of a small stone pillar. But the villains noticed that they weren't there alone. For standing next to the stone pillar was yet another guardian for the jewel. But this time, instead of a crystal man shaped monster, this guardian was a combination of half man and half bull. It was in fact, the dreaded and legendary Minotaur!

"Intruders! You dare seek the power of the summoning jewels!" The Minotaur roared. "You are quite the foolish ones if you think you can control such power."

"Nonsense! I am the mighty Skeletor, and no power is too great for me to control." An arrogant Skeletor interrupted the mighty creature.

"I know who you are, you foolish creature. The power that the summoning jewel contains is too powerful for even the Elders to control. Yet you think you might be able to handle it?"

"I can and I will! Now stand aside creature! That jewel now belongs to me!" Skeletor threaten the Minotaur as he raised the havoc staff and pointed it straight towards the Minotaur.

"No! This jewel belongs here as it has been since the time of the Elders. I cannot permit you to have the jewel!"

"Then you are nothing but a nuisance! Prepare to die!" Skeletor said as he fired a blast of magic from his havoc staff and hit the Minotaur squarely on his chest, but to no effect.

The sound of the Minotaur's laughter echoed through the chamber of the jewel.

"You're more foolish than I thought you were, Skeletor! Your magic cannot affect me! Nor will the powers of your tame witch! Now I will show you why I have been greatly feared in years gone by!" yelled the Minotaur as he started to charge the villains.

"Beast-Man, quickly use your telepathic powers to control this beast!" Skeletor ordered.

"As you wish, mighty Skeletor!" Beast Man replied as he concentrated all his powers upon the Minotaur.

The Minotaur was charging towards the villains in an attempt to get his powerful hands wrapped around the necks of those who would dare to disturb the jewel. All of the villains began to take a few steps back nervously as he gained ground. But then the villains began to relax as they saw him begin to slow in pace. The Minotaur found it harder and harder to move.

The Minotaur pulled up and eventually was forced to stand still, even as he fought to regain control over his own body. But he had not reckoned upon the telepathic powers over beasts that Beast-Man possessed and now found that he was totally unable to do anything. He sighed and bowed his head in despair as he realised he was defeated. He was now in the control of the Beast-Man.

Once Skeletor was sure that the Minotaur was now under Beast-Man's control, he strode arrogantly towards the stone pillar where the next summoning jewel lay, and snatched it up off the pillow on which it laid.

"Ha, Ha! At last, the third summoning jewel is mine! If I can get the last one, then I can defeat that interfering muscle bound oaf He-Man! And once that do-gooder is out of the way, nothing will stop me from learning the secrets of Castle Gray-Skull!" Skeletor let out a long, evil cackle that echoed throughout the chamber.

"Don't be too sure creature! The power of the jewels is not something to mess around with. There is a reason for them to be feared!" Minotaur said in part defiance and part warning, even though he could no longer physically move.

Skeletor turned and looked back at the Minotaur with a pitiless gaze and replied

"I am Skeletor! There is nothing that I fear. The power of the jewels will be mine creature. And you are no longer in any position to do anything to stop me!"

"All I have to do now is to find the last jewel!"

"You will never find it foolish one!" The Minotaur yelled in defiance.

"Beast-Man will you make this creature be silent? He begins to bore me." Skeletor commanded.

"As you wish, mighty Skeletor." Beast-Man obeyed, as he sent a telepathic command to the Minotaur, forcing the guardian to be quiet against his will.

"Wait Lord Skeletor! Let's ask him if he knows where the last summoning jewel is hidden!" Evil Lyn interrupted before Beast-Man's mental suggestion could fully take hold.

"An excellent suggestion my dear!" Skeletor said as he gestured to Beast-Man to do so.

"Grrrrr… you heard Skeletor. Tell us where the last jewel is." Beast-Man commanded the Minotaur.

The Minotaur struggled vainly to fight off Beast-Man's control. Sweat ran down his bull like face as he fought for all his worth as he strained against the telepathic control. But Beast-Man's powers were too strong. Even as he mentally cursed Beast-Man and his evil Master Skeletor, the Minotaur was forced to answer.

"I know not the exact location of where the jewel is. However, I do know it is guarded in a temple somewhere within the sands of time."

"Ha, ha, ha, ! Excellent work Beast-Man! Off to the sands of time we go!" Skeletor cackled.

"Evil Lyn let us head back out to the collector! Beast-Man gather the crystal laser!"

"As you command, Lord Skeletor." Both Evil Lyn and Beast-Man replied together.

Beast-Man turned to gather the cystal laser when he noticed the Minotaur still standing still in place. He turned back to Skeletor and asked, somewhat nervously

"What do you want done with him?" Beast-Man gestured towards the Minotaur.

Skeletor then gave the Minotaur an evil and calculating look before replying

"Command the beast to follow us Beast-Man. He has powers that could be useful to us. Order him to carry the crystal laser, then tell him to follow us."

"As you command, Skeletor." Beast-Man replied, then turned to his captive and said

"You do as Skeletor commands if you wish to live creature!"

"I will obey creature, but know that your Master is endangering everyone on Eternia with his obsession with the summoning jewels."

Beast-Man pulled out a whip and gave the Minotaur a few lashes. The Minotaur growled in pain and made a look towards Beast-Man that promised retribution. However, as he was under Beast-Man's control he could do nothing but comply.

So the Minotaur was forced by Beast-Man to serve the evil Skeletor. He carried the crystal laser and then dutifully followed the evil villains out of the summoning jewel chamber and back out into the maze.

END OF CHAPTER FOUR


	5. Chapter 5 Tracking the Enemy

CHAPTER FIVE

Meanwhile, He-Man and his friends, Man-at-Arms, Orko and Battle-Cat eventually arrived at the cross-section that Skeletor and his henchmen arrived at not too long before the heroes.

Man-at-Arms looked around the intersection and noticed that there were three tunnels, one leading to the north, one to the east and the third to the west. Man-at-Arms had noticed there was barely any light here, and he thanked the elders that they had the foresight to bring the torches along with them.

"Hmmm. This could be a problem He-Man. Three tunnels to choose from and only the Elders know which way Skeletor and his vile henchman went." Man-at Arms stated.

"Yes you're correct old friend. Every moment we delay brings Skeletor closer to the next Summoning Jewel." He-Man replied, while he was thinking hard about which route to take next.

"Maybe we should split up and each of us takes a different tunnel." A nervous Orko suggested.

"That way we can cover all our bases He-Man." The Trollen continued despite feeling more uneasy as ever.

"You make a good point Orko" He-Man praised him "but it makes us more vulnerable to ambush and what ever other surprises that Skeletor might have in mind for us."

"But before we do anything rash Orko, Battle-Cat can you smell their scents at all? Can you smell which way they went?"

"But of coarse He-Man! My senses have been heightened very greatly by the powers of Grey-Skull itself!" Roared the mighty Cat.

"Which way do we go old friend?" asked He-Man as he gently patted his companion.

"To the North He-Man! That tunnel reeks of the stench of that cowardly Beast-Man!"

"And where Beast-Man is, Skeletor won't be too far away." Man-At-Arms added.

"Then the North tunnel it is! Come my friends let us hurry, the fate of Eternia depends on it!" He-Man stated as he raced down the tunnel to the north, with Man-At-Arms, Orko and Battle-Cat following behind in close pursuit.

The heroes ran down the dark tunnel, which lead to another series of tunnels and passageways. He-Man turned and looked at Battle-Cat, before asking

"Which way now Cat?"

"ROARRRR! The vile scent of Beast-Man is still heading North He-Man!" replied the great Cat.

"Then perhaps you should lead the way then. You do have the greatest sense of smell amongst us." Man-at-Arms suggested.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Roared Battle-Cat, as he ran off to continue following the scent. He was quickly followed by He-Man, who was followed by Man-At-Arms, with Orko taking up the rear.

The heroes quickly found themselves, where the group of villains had found themselves earlier. They were on a plateau that overlooked the huge cavern that housed the maze. The heroes took a small moment to take the size of it in before Orko interrupted the moment and gestured towards maze.

"It's a maze Man-At-Arms! And it's huge! " Said the Trollen a bit nervously.

"I can see that Orko. I supposed it does make some sense. The Elders would have made sure all the jewels were properly guarded."

"Be that as it may Duncan, but it does present another obstacle we have to over come if we are to stop Skeletor." He-Man chimed in. He began to wonder and tried to think of a strategy that will allow them to conquer the maze and get to the jewel in the quickest time possible, when the Sorceress contacted him telepathically.

"_He-Man! I have been monitoring the progress of you and your friends via the magic of Castle Grey-Skull and have seen you at the maze of the Minotaur!"_

"_The Minotaur, Sorceress?"_

"_Yes He-Man. The Minotaur is a mythical being, half man and half bull. He was created by the Elders to serve as the guardian of not only this maze, but also the jewel itself."_

"_Is the Minotaur dangerous Sorceress?" He-Man asked._

"_The Minotaur is the guardian of the third jewel He-Man. He is neither evil nor violent by nature, but he has sworn to protect the jewel with anything in his power. Even at the expense of his own life. And I must warn you He-Man, the powers of the Minotaur are great. His strength nearly matches your own."_

"_Can he be reasoned with? If he's not truly violent or evil then maybe he can help?"_

"_That maybe possible He-Man, but his powers are not to be underestimated. In addition to his strength, the Minotaur has great vision and hearing along with possessing some healing ability I believe. You must be cautious He-Man"_

"_I will Sorceress and thank you for your assistance. Although I must confess I'm still wondering how to conquer his maze in time to stop Skeletor."_

"_Use your sword of power He-Man. It has the power to show you the way."_

"_Thank you Sorceress." _

"_No thank you He-Man. Now please hurry. Eternia's fate is in your hands."_

Man-At-Arms looked over at He-Man and was waiting for He-Man's telepathic conversation with the Sorceress to finish. When he saw He-Man nod, he asked

"Was that the Sorceress?"

"Yes it was Duncan. She warned me that there is a Minotaur guarding the jewel somewhere in the maze." He-Man answered.

"A Minotaur! I've heard a few things about these creatures He-Man. We must be wary." Man-At-Arms counseled.

"Indeed. The sorceress told me we must be cautious."

"What about the maze He-Man? Did the sorceress mention anything about that?" Orko asked with curiosity.

"Yes Orko. She told me the magic of my sword will lead the way."

"ROARRRR. Then why are we standing here for? Let's make tracks." Battle-Cat growled.

The heroes climbed down the plateau and headed for the entrance of the maze. As they got nearer to the entrance, Battle-Cat began to sniff and smell the air suspiciously.

"He-Man! I can smell the scent of Beast-Man nearby, the villain must be very close." Growled the cat.

"Indeed, if Beast-Man is close old friend then Skeletor won't be too far behind. Is everyone ready?" He-Man asked as looked towards his companions. Man-at-Arms just gave him a nod. Battle-Cat growled in the affirmative and Orko just replied somewhat nervously "Sure He-Man. It's time to stop Skeletor before he does any more harm."

Our heroes bravely entered into the maze, which the villains had entered only a short time ago. He-Man led the way by using the magic of his power sword, instinctively trusting the advice of the Sorceress. Eventually the heroes came across the same huge wall of fire that Skeletor and his minions had stumbled upon.

"By golly gosh it's a wall of fire He-Man! And it's huge!" Exclaimed an nervous Orko.

"ROARRRRRRR! I don't like it He-Man! It look's like another of Skeletor's nasty tricks!" Added Battle-Cat as he gazed upon the fire wall, with a deep, suspicious look.

"Hmmm..that's strange." Mumbled Man-At-Arms more to himself than to the others in the group, as he fiddled with a small electronic device he had un-clipped from his utility belt.

"What is it old friend?" Asked a curious He-Man as he turned and watched his old friend and mentor use his device.

"It's this fire He-Man. According to my energy sensor here, I can detect no heat coming from it. And according to modern magic and science, all fires both normal and magical generate heat. This fire should be generating an enormous amount of heat that would prevent anyone from getting this close, yet there is none." Man-At-Arms explained.

"Yes I agree with you there Duncan. My power sword is detecting a large magical signature coming from this flame." He-Man replied.

"Hmmm I wonder…." Man-At-Arms pondered.

While He-Man and Man-At-Arms was discussing the nature of the fire and the reason why it wasn't generating any heat, Orko can believed he had come up with a solution to their problem and decided if the fire was magical, then magic could come up with a way to defeat the fire. Unfortunately, since Orko had lost since magic talisman upon first coming to Eternia, his magic was anything but reliable. Battle-Cat had looked over to where Orko was and began to get nervous. The great Cat decided to back up a few steps, he didn't even want to get anywhere near Orko when he was attempting to cast magic.

"Oh mighty wall of flame and heat, let me summon some water to make you beat!" Orko chanted as he cast his magic in an attempt to defeat the magic. But sure enough, his spell backfired again. His attempt to cast some water to put out the fire was initially successfully, but only just. A bucket of water appeared – but only upside down and directly above Man-At-Arms head. He-Man began to grin as he realized Orko was up to his old tricks again. Man-At-Arms noticed He-Man's grin and asked

"I know I'm going to regret asking this, but is there a reason for you to be grinning like a mad man He-Man?"

"Duncan, don't look now but…"

"But what?" Duncan asked. But before He-Man could have a chance to reply, gravity came into play and the bucket of water fell onto Man-At-Arms head, completely saturating Man-At-Arms at the same time.

"ORKO!" Duncan roared as he pulled the now empty bucket off his head.

"Gee, I'm sorry Man-At-Arms. I was only trying to help put out the wall of fire." A shame faced Orko apologized to Man-At-Arms.

"Please let me help you. I know this great spell for drying things…" Orko stated before he was interrupted by Man-At-Arms.

"No more magic please Orko. I know you were only trying to help, but please until your magic becomes more reliable please don't."

"Okay I guess your right Man-At-Arms." Replied a sad Orko. He-Man noticed his friend was down and tried to cheer him up.

"It was only an accident Orko. It could have happened to anyone. And you were trying to help, wasn't he Duncan?" He-Man asked Man-At-Arms who had now had a chance to cool down (no pun intended of course!).

"Of course he was He-Man." Duncan agreed as he realised Orko was trying his best to help them.

"_He-Man. Time is starting to run out. You must hurry." The sorceress mentally warned He-Man. He-Man then concentrated and told the sorceress about the Wall of fire that the group had encountered, as well as his concerns about his friends. They may not be able to get past the fire unharmed._

"_Your concerns are admirable He-Man. But in this case, they are not necessary. You see the wall of flame before you is nothing but a magical illusion cast by the Elders to drive off intruders who would seek to steal the jewel of summoning from the centre of the maze."  
>"I see Sorceress. So this is just a trick of the maze and it is completely harmless."<em>

"_Indeed it is He-Man. You and your friends can safely walk through the fire."_

"_Thank you for your advice and assistance Sorceress." He-Man replied as he cut off the mental connection, even while the Sorceress continued to monitor the progress of the heroes within the confines of Castle Gray-Skull._

"Was that the Sorceress again?" Man-At-Arms asked as he realized He-Man had mentally drifted off again.

"Indeed it was Duncan. She told me this fire was nothing but an illusion. We should be able to pass through unharmed." He-Man explained.

"The sorceress said that? But the fire looks really big." Asked an unsure Orko.

"Yes it is old friend. But I trust the sorceress and if she says it's a illusion then it is a illusion." He-Man said at an attempt to sooth Orko.

"ROARRRRRR! If it's harmless why are waiting here for?" Growled Battle-Cat as he moved forward and lept through the fire. He then went back to his friends and roared "ROARRRRRRR! See nothing but a annoying parlor trick. Let's go! ROARRRRR!"

He-Man smiled, amused at the Cat's antics. Then he faced his friends and said

"Well, you heard the great Cat! Let's continue moving forwards!" And with that said, the heroes followed the cat through the flame. Once past the illusion, He-Man once again took the lead through the maze, using the magic of his power sword to show them the correct way through the maze and towards the summoning jewel as well as Skeletor and his evil minions.

But as luck would have it, as the heroes neared the entrance to the center of maze, the villains, with the Minotaur still carrying the crystal laser following behind, exited the jewel chamber of the maze and the two groups stood face to face with each other.

"He-Man!" Skeletor yelled with a disgusted tone in his voice.

"Skeletor! You must hand over that jewel now villain! Those jewels were hidden for a reason. They are just too dangerous to control!"

"Too dangerous for you and your pitiful friends He-Man!" Skeletor sneered at the Hero.

"But I am the mighty Skeletor! And soon you will face the bitter taste of defeat He-Man!"

"Skeletor, you must listen to reason. The existence and use of those jewels will threaten everyone on Eternia! Including, you!" Man-At-Arms told the dark lord, in a vain attempt to get the villain to see sense.

"There is no way that I'm going to listen to a pompous old fool like you Man-At-Arms! Not out of my way do-gooders!"

"I'm afraid I can't let you go Skeletor. Please hand over the jewel if not for others, but for the safety of you and your henchmen."

"I'm not about to listen to you He-Man! This jewel is the one thing that will give me the ultimate power! You must think I'm a fool!" Skeletor spat at He-Man.

"Evil Lyn and Beast-Man destroy these fools. Beast-Man, command the Minotaur to put down the crystal laser and then fight He-Man!"

"As you command, mighty Skeletor!" Both henchmen answered as they launched themselves to attack the group of heroes, while the Minotaur put the crystal laser on the ground and launched himself at He-Man. And then, began a fight that would go a long way towards determining the fate of Eternia and all of its citizens.

END OF CHAPTER FIVE


	6. Chapter 6 The Battle Part 1

CHAPTER SIX

So the battle between good and evil commenced with the Minotaur, whom was still under Beast-Man's telepathic control, charging in and attacking He-Man. Evil Lyn, intent on annihilating the incompetent, meddling and just plain idiotic Orko, unleashed a bolt of dark shadow magic at the small Trollen. Though Orko had noticed just in time and managed to float out of the way of Evil Lyn's magic.

Beast-Man was ordered by the evil Skeletor to deal with the pompous Man-at-Arms and to try to control Battle-Cat so that the mangy Tiger wouldn't affect the battle too much in favor of the heroes. Beast-Man tried to use his telepathic powers on Battle-Cat, only for him having to abort his attempt and dodge a blaster bolt or two coming from Man-At-Arms who had two blasters built into each of his Armour bands on each of his wrists.

"Take that you villain!" Man-At-Arms taunted Beast-Man, in an attempt to distract the villain from using his telepathic powers on Battle-Cat.

"Grrrr, you'll pay for that Man-At-Arms!" Beast-Man growled as he grabbed his whip from his belt and began to lash out at Man-At-Arms who had dodged nimbly and avoided the blows.

"You're going to have to do better than that Beast-Man!" Man-At-Arms taunted.

_Hopefully I can distract him long enough so he won't use his powers on Battle-Cat. I know from the looks of things he already has the Minotaur possibly under his control. So if I can stop him from using those powers, there's a good chance of the Minotaur might fight off that control and get his freedom back. _Man-At-Arms thought as he continued to dodge the lashes from Beast-Man's whip, as he fired back with his blasters in retaliation.

"I intend to do so fool." Beast-Man replied in anger.

Beast-Man was able to dodge the blaster bolts, just like Man-At-Arms had been able to dodge his whip. Beast-Man was going to lash out again before he heard a loud roar, and was immediately jumped upon by the enraged Battle-Cat, having being pissed off not only by the villain's attempts to hurt his friend Man-At-Arms with that dreaded whip of his but also by the villain's attempts to put him under telepathic control.

"I don't think so Beast-Man! ROARRRRRR!" roared the mighty Battle-Cat in as much anger as defiance.

Meanwhile Skeletor was just intent on watching how his minions were fighting. It seemed at the moment to Skeletor that the battle in progress was pretty much even, though he was thinking of evil ways of pushing the balance towards his own advantage. Then he noticed the crystal laser was still lying on the ground where the Minotaur was ordered to put it, and a nasty, evil smirk began to appear on Skeletor's face as he began to think of many evil ways in which he could put the crystal laser to use in this battle. As Skeletor went over towards his prized weapon while laughing an evil chuckle, his Hench woman Evil Lyn was getting annoyed at Orko.

"Die you incompetent little troll!" Evil Lyn screeched as she unleashed another bolt of dark magic at the small Trollen.

"Oh fiddle sticks!" yelped the Trollen as he was lucky to dodge yet another lethal bolt of dark magic, much to the annoyance of Evil Lyn.

"By all that is unholy and evil, be still damn it!" Evil Lyn cursed even while Orko prepared to unleash his own magic against the evil witch.

"By all of holy and light please bind this evil's might!" Orko began to chant even while Evil Lyn began to stare at him in disbelief.

"You dare pit your worthless magic's against mine you fool?" Evil Lyn screeched towards Orko even as she began to power up her sceptre.

Orko continued chanting his magic while Evil Lyn threw a few more lethal bolts of dark magic at him. Orko, despite his reputation as a goof and a court jester, really was a powerful magician and good ally for He-Man when he became serious and focused his mind to the task at hand. In a life or death situation, where the lives of everyone on Eternia was at stake, Orko became as focused and as serious as he ever had been before. Those in Eternia who knew about Orko's hi-jinks would have sworn that this was impossible, namely His Royal Majesty King Randor and Man-At-Arms, but on this occasion they were both proven wrong as Orko rose to the challenge. He continued to dodge Evil Lyn's bolts of dark magic, while replying in kind with his own Trollen magic. It was indeed a rare occasion that Orko got his magic spells right, but on this occasion it seemed that the Elders were indeed watching over them, as Evil Lyn started to find herself hard pressed to counter Orko's counter attack spells.

While Evil Lyn and Orko were dueling with their magic's, and Beast-Man was struggling to fend off both Man-At-Arms and Battle-Cat, He-Man was forced to fight the Minotaur. From his mental conversations he had with the Sorceress, he knew that the Minotaur was neither truly evil nor violent by nature, yet the Minotaur was still attacking him.

"I don't mean you any harm Minotaur! My name is He-Man and I come in peace!" He-Man said as he tried to reason with the creature.

"Nay! You are here for the summoning jewel and I have been ordered to fight you!" The Minotaur replied as he took a big swing with his right hook at He-Man. He-Man barely managed to block the blow. He started to sweat as he realized that this fight may not be as easy to win after all.

"I am not after the summoning jewels Minotaur! I just want to see them safe, just as you do!" He-Man attempted to explain to the Minotaur.

"Nay! Don't think me a fool He-Man! Everyone who comes here is after the Jewels!" yelled the Minotaur as he continued to fight against He-Man, even though he knew that some of the things that He-Man had said appeared to be the truth.

_Damn Beast-Man and damn his telepathic powers, thought the Minotaur as he now attempted to wrestle with He-Man. I know that what He-Man says is the truth but I am powerless to do anything whilst I have to obey the commands of that damned Beast-Man!_

"Wait Minotaur please." He-Man pleaded even as he blocked another thunderous left hook from the Minotaur

"You said you had been ordered to fight. Who ordered you? Was it Skeletor?"

"That is none of your concern hero. My only concern here is to stop you!" The Minotaur replied even though he desperately wanted to tell He-Man that Beast-Man had him under his telepathic control. Unfortunately, Beast-Man's control was still too strong so he was unable to tell the brave hero wanted he needed to know.

While the Minotaur was silently grappling with his mental 'demons' and simultaneously fighting He-Man to a stand still, things weren't going as well for the Beast-Man as he was fighting both the mighty Battle-Cat and the dogged Man-At-Arms. Beast-Man was beginning to sweat as he realized that the Minotaur was starting to fight back against his mental control. Beast-Man knew that if he let this happened then not only would he have an upset Minotaur to deal with, he would also have to deal with an angry Skeletor and HIS wrath. And that wasn't a really pleasant thought at all. Beast-Man though was in a very difficult position. He was lying on his back, trying to fend off the angry Battle-Cat while he spied Man-At-Arms creeping up on him, about to stun him with one of those annoying wrist blasters of his.

With a surge of strength, Beast-Man was able to throw off the surprised Battle-Cat and managed to get back up to his feet. Man-At-Arms quickly shot a stun bolt at Beast-Man, but the villain was able to dodge quickly to the side and avoid the stun blast that would have had him, had he still been lying on the ground.

"Grrrrr you've got to do better than that Man-At-Arms." Beast-Man growled.

"Don't worry villain, I intend to." Man-At-Arms answered in reply with steely resolve.

"ROARRRR! Let me at him!" roared Battle-Cat as he quickly recovered from his surprise.

Beast-Man looked at his opponents and knew that he was in a bit of bother. The strain of maintaining his control over the Minotaur and his efforts so far in the battle were beginning to take their toll over the Beast-Man. Even now, Beast-Man could feel his strength was beginning to wane. He would have to ask his master for help. He didn't want to do it, he didn't like to do it, but he knew he would HAVE to do it if he was any chance to get out of his current situation.

"Mighty Skeletor..I could use your assistance here Master." Beast-Man begged as he knew Skeletor was unlikely to come to his assistance if it served the Lord of Destruction's purposes.

Skeletor looked up from where he gathered the crystal laser and noticed that the tide of the battle was beginning to turn against him. He had heard that his minion Beast-Man had just called for his help so he turned to look back at the battle.

The Minotaur had fought He-Man to a stand still so far, but the signs were there that the Minotaur was beginning to fight off Beast-Man's telepathic control. And when that Beast was free, Skeletor had no desire to be anywhere near the creature.

He also noticed that the damned incompetent Orko had somehow managed to master his magic for this battle and was currently matching wits and spells with his witch, Evil Lyn.

_Typical, thought Skeletor. When I am this close to ultimate power the fool now decides to master his magic to thwart me and my quest for the summoning jewels._

So with quick, evil and very cunning thinking, Skeletor picked up the crystal laser and turned it towards the battle, hoping to hit one of the heroes with the powerful beam, but then had the thought of why settle for the 'sheep' when he could kill off the hope of all of Eternia! Cackling an evil laugh, Skeletor then turned the crystal laser around and aimed at He-Man.

_I won't even need the summoning jewels if I can make this shot! To be this close, to be able to take out my arch nemesis He-Man! Come on out in the open you fool. Just one shot is all I need! _

Skeletor thought as he attempted to fire the crystal laser at He-Man. He was waiting for a while as both He-Man and the Minotaur were engaged in a contest of strength, both wrestling with each other in an attempt to achieve dominance. Skeletor withheld his fire as he didn't want to anger the Minotaur, having seen it prove immune to magic, there was a good chance that the laser would only anger the beast and not hurt him. Both Evil Lyn and Orko continued their duel and constantly got in the way of Skeletor's aim. If it had been Beast-Man getting in the way of Skeletor's aim, then Skeletor would not have hesitated to fire if it meant a chance of getting rid of He-Man, however he considered Evil Lyn to be too useful an ally and Hench woman to be thrown away too causally.

_Patience Skeletor, patience. I will have my shot at He-Man. Sooner or later that muscle bound oaf will have his back to me, and when he does…_Skeletor thought as he continued to look through the targeting lens of the crystal laser. He-Man didn't know it yet, but Skeletor almost literally had a target painted on He-Man's back, as the Lord of Destruction tried to get Eternia's greatest champion within his cross hairs.

_Almost there…just a few more paces to the left and that muscle bound oaf will cause me no more trouble! _ Skeletor thought as he adjusted the aim and the tracking of the crystal laser.

While Skeletor was busy with targeting the crystal laser at He-Man, he didn't take much more notice of the events going on all around him. Had he paid attention, he would have realized that Man-At-Arms had noticed what the Lord of Destruction was up to. Taking a chance, Man-At-Arms told Battle-Cat to fight the Beast-Man alone while he went to He-Man's aid.

_Hopefully Beast-Man is now weak enough, that he can't not possibly control BOTH Battle-Cat and the Minotaur at the same time! And I hope we don't have to find out the hard way! _Man-At-Arms added as he prepared himself to go to He-Man's aid. Even as he rushed towards He-Man he realized he may be to late so he shouted a warning towards the champion

"He-Man, look out! Skeletor has the crystal laser aimed at you!" But as Man-At-Arms looked on in despair, he realized his warning had come a few seconds too late as Skeletor had gotten a good look at the hero through the targeting lens and fired off the laser without the least bit of pity or remorse.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Time to die, He-Man!" Skeletor cackled evilly as he fired the powerful weapon.

END OF CHAPTER SIX.


	7. Chapter 7 The Battle Part 2

CHAPTER SEVEN

AUTHOR'S NOTE : - WARNING Character Death in this Chapter! Please rest assured no major cannon character is going to be hurt. If you don't want to know, please quit reading this chapter.

AUTHOR'S NOTE 2 : - Also please note in terms of the death scene that I might borrow a line or two (or maybe three or four!) from another cartoon from the 80's. I will wonder if anyone will be able to guess it. (Although it will be obvious, here is a hint – it has been made into two movies recently (2007 onwards) so far with a third on the way!)

**Previously in He-Man and the Summoning Jewels….**

Time seemed to stand still during the battle between the forces of good and evil as Man-At-Arms prepared himself as he rushed to He-Man's aid. Even as he ran as quickly as he could towards He-Man, he realized he would be too late even as he shouted his warning towards the champion and heir to the Eternian Throne.

"He-Man, look out! Skeletor has the crystal laser aimed at you!" But even as Man-At-Arms looked on in despair, he realized that his warning had come all too late as Skeletor had gotten a good look at the hero through the targeting lens and fired off the laser without the least bit of pity or remorse.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Time to die, He-Man!" Skeletor cackled evilly as he fired the powerful weapon.

**And now the next exciting chapter….**

Skeletor's evil laugh echoed throughout the chamber as he fired the crystal laser at his most hated arch nemesis.

_Die He-Man die. I hope that this crystal laser, invented by my trusted Engineer and henchman Try-Clops will spell your doom! This will be a fitting end for all your interferences in my most devilish schemes! Skeletor thought, even as he watched the laser head towards He-Man and he cruelly hoped the laser would cause agonizing pain to the hero before he finally succumbed to the weapon._

The power of the laser echoed as a loud boom through the area, which startled the combatants involved in the conflict.

Man-At-Arms already knew what was going to happen and could only look on in despair as he tried in vain to get to He-Man's side in time to assist the Hero of Eternia.

Beast-Man looked up from where he was on the cavern floor. Battle-Cat had knocked him over again in battle, and try as he might Beast-Man was now too weak too control both Battle-Cat and the Minotaur. So instead of trying to control both, he realized his best chance NOT to anger Skeletor was to maintain control of the Minotaur, while hoping he could physically hold out against the mighty Battle-Cat. Even as he tried in vain to accomplish even this goal, he realized his control of the Minotaur was slipping. Beast-Man had grown weak through his efforts and his fight against the band of heroes, and even now could feel the Minotaur fighting back against his control with a vengeance.

"ROARRRRR! You're not going anywhere Beast-Man!" Roared Battle-Cat, as he managed to pin the Beast-Man to the cavern floor. Battle-Cat was trying to claw at the Beast-Man, hoping to incapacitate the villain while it was all that the Beast-Man could do to keep his opponent at bay. Whilst this was happening, the Battle-Cat was focused solely on his personal fight and was remaining oblivious to the danger that his master He-Man was in.

"Grrrrr….damn you! You mangy cat! I'll find a way to beat you yet!" Beast-Man responded as he too was focused on his individual battle and was unaware of Skeletor's attempt to end the life of Eternia's greatest Champion. The Beast-Man was able to shrug Battle-Cat off him again with a last surge of strength and quickly got back to his feet. He grabbed his whip and lashed out at Battle-Cat who had quickly charged back in towards his opponent. Though while Beast-Man was able to get the mighty cat to hesitate slightly with the whip, he could not get any hits in as Battle-Cat was able to nimbly dodge them.

"Never! ROARRRRRR! You and your Master Skeletor will be beaten this day you miserable villain!" roared Battle-Cat as the mighty cat charged towards the Beast-Man.

"Grrrrr…Let's see what you have left, you mangy cat! I will defeat you and then you will serve me and Master Skeletor!" Beast-Man growled in challenge towards He-Man's companion. Battle-Cat's only response was to give a mighty roar before charging into battle once more. The fight was on.

Meanwhile the magical duel between Orko and Skeletor's tame witch Evil Lyn had reached a stalemate, with neither combatant getting the upper hand over the other. Like the battle between Beast-Man and Battle-Cat, neither Orko nor Evil Lyn had realized what Skeletor intended nor the peril that He-Man was in. The pair of them continued to duel with their magic's determined to defeat their adversary.

"By all that is dark, evil and unholy! What does it take to defeat this pitiful fool!" Evil Lyn growled in frustration even as she realized she had underestimated the small Trollen.

"Give it up Evil Lyn! The forces of good will always win!" Orko shouted back at the dark sorceress in defiance, even as he unleashed another bolt of magic at her. Evil Lyn quickly raised her scepter and erected a magical shield that adsorbed the magical bolt just in time.

"Is that the best you can do, you fool?" Evil Lyn taunted Orko, even as she counter attacked with another bolt of dark shadow magic. Orko managed to dodge this counter attack, although just barely.

"Nice try Evil Lyn but you should always take better care to aim!" Orko taunted as he realized all of a sudden where that stray dark magical bolt of magic had gone. Even as Evil Lyn began to form a retort to the Trollen magician she too had realized where it had gone. All of a sudden, she got a sinking feeling within the deepest parts of her stomach.

_By all that is unholy! This cannot be! My magic was intended to defeat this fool and now it looks like I will be helping their foolish and heroic cause! Evil Lyn you are a fool! Skeletor will never forgive me for this, even if it was just an accident! But at least that foolish Beast-Man will get what is coming to him! _

Evil Lyn could only watch as her blast of dark magic was dodged by Orko, only for to sail onwards and straight at the Beast-Man's unsuspecting and unguarded back.

While Evil Lyn and Orko continued their duel, with the dark sorceress starting to get more desperate as she realized her mistake, the fight between He-Man and the Minotaur was evenly matched. Neither of the opponents had managed to shift the other in their wrestling contest and both realized they were in for a old fashioned slug feast.

"Please Minotaur! I am not your enemy! We should not be fighting here! Please give me a chance to explain!" He-Man pleaded even as he fought the Minotaur in a wrestling contest of strength.

"Nay, He-Man. I've been ordered to fight and that is what I must do!" Minotaur replied even as he fought against the telepathic control of the Beast-Man. Even now, he could feel the control slipping and could feel himself getting closer to getting his freedom back. But still was compelled to fight He-Man.

"But who has ordered you to fight?" He-Man asked as he dodged another powerful right from the Minotaur.

"You have already asked that, and again I answer that is none of your concern!" roared the Minotaur as he continued to fight the hero.

"I don't want to hurt you Minotaur, but if Skeletor gets all the summoning jewels then all of Eternia is at stake. Please surrender or I have to take the necessary actions." He-Man tried again, to appeal to the Minotaur. Eternia's champion truly did not want to hurt him, but with all of the life on Eternia at stake, he realized he may not have a choice.

"Don't worry, you won't!" Said the Minotaur even as he managed to punch He-Man in the guts and cause the Champion to reel back a few steps. It was at this stage in the fight between the jewel guardian and the guardian of Castle Gray-Skull that gave Skeletor the opportunity to target the hero.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Time to die, He-Man!" Skeletor cackled evilly as he fired the powerful weapon as he targeted the hero through the targeting lens of the Crystal Laser.

It was at this stage where all had seemed lost. Man-At-Arms, even as he pushed himself to get to He-Man's side knew he would arrive too late. Evil Lyn had just cast that 'fatal' bolt of dark magic at Orko, whom the Trollen had just managed to dodge quite swiftly. And it was that same bolt of magic that was headed towards the unguarded and unprotected back of the Beast-Man.

"ARGGGGGGGGGGG!" Screamed the Beast-Man, even as he was hit by the dark magic. It was an intensive and agonizing pain that he went through after being hit by the magic. Had it been a normal man, that magic would have spelt their certain doom. But the Beast-Man wasn't built like normal men. He was half beast and half man, with greater strength and stamina then most men can possess, and with more intelligence than most beasts can possess. It normally was a remarkable combination that made the Beast-Man such a formidable foe.

But in this case, thanks to his previous efforts in controlling the formidable Minotaur and the fight against first Man-At-Arms and then Battle-Cat, Beast-Man was physically drained and could no longer offer any resistance against the dark magic. As soon as Beast-Man hit the floor after being hit, he fell unconscious and thus his hold over the Minotaur was released.

"ROARRRRR! That was a bit anti-climatic!" roared the Battle-Cat even as he sniffed and smelled around the still body of the Beast-Man ever suspecting of yet another foul trick.

As the luck of the Elders would have it, a moment before Skeletor got his shot off at He-Man, was the moment that Beast-Man got knocked out due to an errant bolt of magic from Evil Lyn. With Beast-Man neutralized, the Minotaur was freed from his control even as he was continuing to fight He-Man. The Minotaur decided to punch He-Man in the gut and forced the hero away so he could buy himself some time. Then he had heard Man-At-Arm's warning and realized what the fiend Skeletor was up to, especially since he had that awful Crystal Laser with him.

"Minotaur, I really don't want to hurt you, but you're leaving me no other choice!" He-Man remarked as he recovered from the Minotaur's powerful blow. It was at this time that the Minotaur had fully recovered his facilities, but had noticed Skeletor's evil intentions with the Crystal Laser.

_I cannot let such an evil being as Skeletor hurt such a good soul as He-Man! I have wronged this soul and he even now tries to talk me out of a fight despite what I have done, and he still only defends himself! Such a soul should not fall to such evil! Not if I can help it anyway! _

It was with these finals thoughts, that the Minotaur decided to act and save a hero, someone who would do more good that he himself could ever hope to achieve.

"Get out of the way!" The Minotaur roared.

"What? Huh?" He-Man asked in confusion even as the Minotaur bowled He-Man over.

He-Man was knocked to the floor of the cavern even as a powerful laser went over his head, incidentally where his body would have been had the Minotaur not knocked him over. He then heard a yelp and a large groan of pain coming nearby and He-Man had that sinking feeling that someone just had been seriously hurt.

"Oh Elders, nooooo!" He-Man groaned even as he struggled to his feet.

While Eternia's Champion struggled to his feet, the battle between Evil Lyn and Orko finally came to a conclusion, with Orko the surprising victor. Most people in Eternia, both on the side of the heroes and the forces of Skeletor would have put good gold on Evil Lyn being more powerful in a fight than Orko. But on this occasion, may it be the Elders watching upon them, Orko's natural talent, or really through just plain dumb luck, the small Trollen triumphed over the dark witch.

The said dark witch was knocked out cold by a fluky spell cast by Orko, whom both Orko and Evil Lyn had never expected such a spell to succeed let alone be cast without dire consequences. Well that was the way with Orko and his magic after all. Come, a life and death situation his magic could compete with the best of them. If he had to think about it, it was always sure to backfire in some spectacular way, and normally at Man-At-Arms' expense!

"Well golly gosh that was certainly harder than cleaning my room!" remarked an exhausted Orko as he mobbed his brow.

Skeletor had noticed both Evil Lyn and Beast-Man had now been defeated, and without the Minotaur under control he was by himself. So while the heroes were distracted, he quietly made a magic portal gateway that headed towards the Sands of Time and the location of the last summoning jewel.

.

So while Skeletor made his quiet escape via a magical portal, Man-At-Arms finally reached the side of Eternia's greatest Champion.

"Are you alright He-Man?" Duncan asked with great concern.

"Yes, thank you old friend. I'm all right thanks to the heroic efforts of the Minotaur. But…" He-Man replied even as he trailed off.

"But what, He-Man?"

"I'm afraid that the Minotaur wasn't as lucky." He-Man replied sadly as both he and Man-At-Arms turned their attention towards the prone body of the Minotaur, even now lying and bleeding and still upon the cavern floor.

Both Battle-Cat and Orko now approached He-Man and Man-At-Arms, both weary from their respective battles. They made sure that He-Man was okay before they noticed that the Minotaur had suffered a serious, mortal wound.

"Oh my goodness He-Man! The Minotaur is badly hurt! We have to get him help!" exclaimed Orko as he worried about the large amount of blood on the cavern floor.

"Yes He-Man! ROARRRRR! He may have been fighting us, but he doesn't deserve to die!" Battle-Cat roared in agreement even as Man-At-Arms got out his sensor device which not only could detect magical readings but life and health readings as well.

"I'm afraid I've got some bad news." Man-At-Arms announced grimly.

"Please don't tell me what you're about to tell me." He-Man said grimly and very sadly.

"I fear that the Minotaur's wounds are fatal." Replied Man-At-Arms very sadly.

"Noooooooooo! The Minotaur can't die! There must be some way we can save him!" yelled a distraught Orko.

The Minotaur then coughed and moaned as he heard the heroes talk. He was dying, he knew that the damage that he took from the Cystal Laser was too great but he strained to talk to these heroes. He wanted, no he needed to say some last words and get some things off his chest.

"**Do not grieve small one, for soon I shall be one with the Elders…"** The Minotaur started to explain, even as he coughed and spluttered.

"Minotaur…." He-Man began but was quickly interrupted.

"He-Man you truly tried to help me even as I was under Beast-Man's control. For this I thank you…." Minotaur continued even as he continued to cough up blood.

"He-Man I shall pass this medallion of leadership to you…..as it was passed to me…" Minotaur struggled to say as he took a medallion off from around his neck.

"Minotaur….I'm just a solider, a warrior…..I'm not worthy." Replied He-Man, who was feeling great dismay.

"Nor was I, He-Man. But one day a hero will rise from the ranks and use the power of this medallion to save us in Eternia's darkest hour….."

"Until that day, till all is one….." Minotaur struggled to get out as he passed the medallion out to He-Man. He tried to pass the medallion to He-Man, but his strength failed him and the medallion dropped. He-Man tried to get the medallion before it fell, but Orko was quick off the mark and managed to catch it in time.

"Here you go He-Man! What a nifty Medallion!" Orko said as he passed the Medallion to He-Man as he put the Medallion around his own neck.

While He-Man put on the Medallion, the heroes turned back to the Minotaur and paid their final respects. They noticed the Minotaur had stopped talking and lay silent. Man-At-Arms looked at his sensor and what the life sensor readings was telling him. The life signs grew weaker and weaker until the signals flat-lined. He-Man looked at Man-At-Arms questioningly but Man-At-Arms shook his head sadly and in the negative. The brave Minotaur, who had risked his life at the end to protect He-Man, was no more.

END OF CHAPTER SEVEN


	8. Chapter 8 Back on the Hunt

CHAPTER EIGHT – BACK ON THE HUNT

**Previously…**

While He-Man put on the Medallion, the heroes turned back to the Minotaur and paid their final respects. They noticed the Minotaur had stopped talking and lay silent. Man-At-Arms looked at his sensor and what the life sensor readings was telling him. The life signs grew weaker and weaker until the signals flat-lined. He-Man looked at Man-At-Arms questioningly but Man-At-Arms shook his head sadly and in the negative. The brave Minotaur, who had risked his life at the end to protect He-Man, was no more.

**And now….**

"Is there anything you can do Duncan?" He-Man asked sadly, hoping against hope that Man-At-Arms could perform a miracle.

"I'm sorry He-Man. The Minotaur is beyond our help now. Not even the magic's of Castle Grey-Skull would do any good now. The Minotaur has passed on."

"I see. May the Elders watch over such a noble soul." He-Man sadly replied, even as a few tears came to his eyes.

"The Minotaur was really brave. I'm sure he's received his reward and now in a better place with the Elders." Orko stated, trying to cheer up He-Man as he saw how down the hero was.

"Thanks Orko. But if there was only something I could do.." He-Man replied as he trailed off. Man-At-Arms put one hand on his shoulder and then told the hero.

"You're only human He-Man. Despite your great gifts, not even you can save everyone."

"I know old friend. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. Or stop trying to save everyone for that matter."

"I know. But for now all we can do is chase after Skeletor and put an end to the madman's schemes. That way the Minotaur's sacrifice won't be in vain." Man-At-Arms counselled the champion.

"Yes…you're right. He gave his life so that I may live and stop Skeletor. It's time I stopped feeling sorry for myself and focused on the task at hand" He-Man replied with determination. Man-At-Arms only nodded in response as he saw He-Man pull himself together despite feeling guilty at the Minotaur's death.

"Hey He-Man, Man-At-Arms what do we do with these villains?" Orko asked as he looked nervously towards the two vanquished villains who were still out cold on the cavern floor.

"Hmmm. As much as we would like to deal with these two now, our main priority has to be to chase after and stop Skeletor." He-Man answered after a moment of consideration.

"That's true He-Man. But surely they will come after us, once they wake up." Orko asked.

"You're right Orko." He-Man said before turning to Man-At-Arms "What do you think Duncan? Is there anyway we can slow these two down?"

"Well we can use our binders and some cloth to bind and gag these two, but it's not fool proof. Between Evil Lyn's magic and Beastman's strength they would probably be able to break free in time." Man-At-Arms said.

"But it will be enough to buy us the time we need He-Man. Here take these binders and bind Beast-Man. I'll make sure that Evil Lyn is dealt with." Man-At-Arms continued.

Wordlessly, Orko and Battle-Cat watched on as He-Man and Man-At-Arms proceeded to bound and gags both Beast-Man and the dark sorceress Evil Lyn. Once the two villains had been suitably restrained, Battle-Cat growled out to the heroes.

"GRRRRRRR. Now that these villains have been dealt with, why are we still standing here for! ROARRRRRR!"

"You're right Battle-Cat. Come on friends, let us make haste and get back to the Wind Raider. Skeletor is probably already at the Sands of Time as we speak, so there's no time to lose!" He-Man stated as he led the heroes back out into the maze.

The heroes then made record time to get back to the Wind Raider. They had run through the maze, then back through the tunnels and finally back outside the mountain, where they quickly headed towards the waiting vehicle. He-Man quickly mounted upon the back of the mighty Battle-Cat, whereas Man-At-Arms and Orko quickly boarded the Wind Raider, with Man-At-Arms quickly starting the engines of the Wind Raider.

"He-Man, we need to hurry I fear. That fiend Skeletor has got a head start on us, and we need to hurry at all speed if we are to stop him in time." Man-At-Arms told the group of heroes.

"Yes I'm afraid you're correct there Duncan. The Sands of Time lies further to the north, and according to the Sorceress the last of the summoning jewels lies hidden there. We must make haste."

"Indeed. Orko and I will follow you in the Wind Raider."

"But Man-At-Arms, if we go to the Sands of Time what about the magical guardian there? What do we know of it? Is it dangerous?" A nervous Orko asked.

"I'm afraid we're running out of time and options Orko. We're just going have to cross that bridge when we get to it." He-Man replied.

"Bridge? What bridge? I don't see any bridge?" A confused Orko asked.

"*Sigh* He-Man was only using a figure of speech Orko." Man-At-Arms sighed.

"Oh yeah, one of those things.." Orko said as he realized what He-Man meant.  
>"Well it's time to go! Onwards, to the Sands of Time!" He-Man stated as he charged away on the back of Battle-Cat.<p>

"ROARRRRRRR! It's time that vile Skeletor got what was coming to him!" Battle-Cat growled even as he raced towards the Sands of Time, with the Wind Raider following behind him, in the air.

Meanwhile, Skeletor had arrived at the Sands of Time via the magical portal he had created to escape the battle with the heroes back at the jewel cavern. Skeletor looked around at his surroundings and noticed he was in a vast desert as wide as his evil eyes could see. The place was desolate and he could see a few bones of creatures lying in the sand further to the north, obviously of creatures whom had previously died there in the years gone by.

_My, my, my. What a pitiful place this is. But I can sense the power of the Jewel coming from the far north, yet there is nothing to see here. So close to the power of the summoning jewels! He-Man will never stand a chance once I find the last summoning jewel! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! _

Skeletor mentally laughed to himself as he headed towards the northern direction in the desert, as he could sense something powerful and magical coming from that way, with the aid and the assistance of the other summoning jewels that he had now in his possession. It wasn't too long before Skeletor paused mid way through his stride as his magical senses detected something coming towards him, underneath the sands of the desert.

_Ah ha! This could be the next jewel guardian! I must be on my guard! Who knows what this particular beast is capable of! _Skeletor thought as he raised his havoc staff in preparation for the attack that Skeletor knew was coming. The Lord of destruction didn't have to wait long, as a gigantic sand worm exploded out of the sands and attacked him. The worm was at least 10 to 15 meters long and had a mouth span of at least 2 meters, which was full of razor sharp teeth. Skeletor took one look at the worm before unleashing his powerful dark magic at the worm.

"Take that you pitiful worm! You dare to stand in the way of the mighty Skeletor?" Skeletor taunted the worm, even as it reared back in pain and shock from the blast of dark magic.

"Still standing I see. Then how about this!" Skeletor shouted as he unleashed an even more powerful bolt of dark magic. The worm was actually thrown back a few meters due to the strength of the magical blast. It struggled back up again and charged the intruder once more, though it was much slower than its initial attack. The powerful magic cast by Skeletor had cramped the powerful muscles of the worm, reducing the speed in which it could move all the while slowly draining it of its life force. The worm instinctively knew it had to kill Skeletor as it could sense the other summoning jewels upon his person.

"You foolish creature! You are pitifully stupid, even more so that than that fool Beast-Man! Prepare to die!" Skeletor sneered at the worm and unleashed his most powerful dark magic attack. This time, Skeletor succeed in beating the worm as he scored a direct hit on the worm's head. The sheer power of the dark magic caused the head of the worm to explode, sending chunks of worm flesh everywhere. The body of the worm quickly collapsed on to the sand, where it thrashed around for a few seconds before becoming still.

"Serves you right you foolish creature! No one dares to face me, the mighty Skeletor and expects to live! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Skeletor laughed evilly as he pressed on past the corpse of the sand worm and continued on in his quest to obtain the final summoning jewel. Skeletor walked onwards towards where the magical signature was coming from, and soon enough came to the spot as indicated by his jewels, but saw nothing but more sand.

_Hmmm, there seems to be nothing here, but the magic of the other summoning jewels are telling me that the last one is here! And my senses tell me a familiar magic surrounds this area…hmmm now what could that be? Of course! It's another stupid and pitiful illusion, just like that stupid wall of flame back in the Minotaur's maze!_

Skeletor suddenly realized, and he began to chant an illusion dispelling spell so he could find the last summoning jewel. After a few moments, the spell began to work and Skeletor found himself staring in surprise, as a large ancient temple suddenly appeared before his very eyes. The temple appeared to be huge, probably as large of a temple that the Lord of Destruction had ever seen. And the way into the temple was barred by two giant stone double doors, both with giant stone statues on either side of the entrance.

"Well, well, well! Isn't that something! The jewel must be inside this temple!" Skeletor exclaimed to himself even as he approached the entrance to the temple, where he noticed that there was ancient runes on the doors. Skeletor used some of his magic to help translate the runes and he quickly worked out that they were warning anyone that dared to enter the temple was to unleash a deadly curse and to risk one's own death in a most painful and merciless way.

"Ha! What a stupid thing to write in runes! No silly curse frightens me, the mighty Skeletor! Nothing is going to stand in my way and the summoning jewels! Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha!" Skeletor cackled evilly even as he started to prepare to open the stone doors.

END OF CHAPTER EIGHT


	9. Chapter 9 Skeletor and the Lost Temple

CHAPTER NINE – SKELETOR AND THE LOST TEMPLE

**Previously…**

"Well, well, well! Isn't that something! The jewel must be inside this temple!" Skeletor exclaimed to himself even as he approached the entrance to the temple, where he noticed that there was ancient runes on the doors. Skeletor used some of his magic to help translate the runes and he quickly worked out that they were warning anyone that to enter the temple was to unleash a deadly curse and to risk one's own death in a most painful and merciless way.

"Ha! What a stupid thing to write in runes! No silly curse frightens me, the mighty Skeletor! Nothing is going to stand in my way and the summoning jewels! Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha!" Skeletor cackled evilly even as he started to prepare to open the stone doors.

**Now…..**

Skeletor approached the stone, runed carved doors with impunity. He had an evil, sneering look upon his face as he approached the doors, havoc staff raised in case of a potential magical booby trap that had been in place by the Elders. Skeletor approached with caution due to his recent encounter with the Sand Worn, ever suspecting of another vile trap or yet another magical guardian of the summoning jewel.

"WHO GOES THERE? WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM THIS PLACE MORTAL?"

A powerful magical voice echoed from the nearby area.

"Ha, Ha! I am the mighty Skeletor and no mere magic tricks will frighten me!" Skeletor retorted back towards the stone doors of the jewel temple.

"FOOLISH MORTAL, DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO COMBINE ALL THE JEWELS?" The spirit of the stone doors of the temple asks Skeletor in a very mocking tone.

"I am Skeletor you stone blasted demon! Let me pass, or I shall blast you with my magic!" Skeletor retorted with sheer arrogance apparent in his voice.

"FOOLISH CREATURE DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CONQUER ME?" The magical door replied in a mocking tone to Skeletor's reply.

"We shall see foolish thing!" Skeletor taunted as he unleashed his dark magical powers upon the stone doors. However when he stopped blasting and the smoke and sand had cleared, he was very much surprised to see the doors were still standing, very much unharmed from Skeletor's attack.

"IS THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO?" The door spirit taunted the Lord of Destruction.

"Ha! I'm just starting to warm up! All I need to do is to adjust the amount of power used." Skeletor replied as he unleashed a more powerful bolt of dark magic at the doors. Once again, Skeletor had the same result.

"FOOLISH ONE! IF YOU CANNOT OVERCOME ME, HOW WILL YOU BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THE POWER OF THE JEWELS! TURN AWAY NOW MORTAL ONE." The spirit of the door mocked Skeletor's pathetic attempts to gain entry into the temple. This in turn only served to provoke Skeletor's murderous rage.

"I am the mighty Skeletor and I will not be denied by the likes of you!" Skeletor raged at the stone doors.

Meanwhile back at Castle Gray-Skull, the Sorceress was sitting upon her throne, still magically monitoring both the progress of He-Man and Battle-Cat, Man-At-Arms and Orko in the Wind Raider as well as Skeletor's progress into gaining entry into the lost temple. Suddenly she felt a presence which caused her to frown and look up from where she was monitoring the progress of Eternia's champions. And at once she saw that she was being paid a visit by Zodac Zur, otherwise known as Zodac and the mighty Cosmic Enforcer whose main aim was to ensure the safekeeping of the cosmic balance.

"Greetings Sorceress. I see that the sands of time grow ever much lower." Zodac hailed the Sorceress.

"Indeed Zodac. It appears Skeletor grows ever closer to achieving his aim of reassembling the summoning jewels. Even as we speak he is currently assaulting the doors of the lost temple in the Sands of Time." The Sorceress replied.

"This is a grave development indeed Sorceress. Should the demon Lucifer get free by the reassembled summoning jewel, the balance will be greatly disturbed." A grim Xodac mentioned.

"Yes, but there is still hope. He-Man and his allies are already after Skeletor in hot pursuit of the villain. He-Man knows what truly is at stake here."

"Yes. I have been monitoring the situation as well as you have but I have to admit that the fiend Skeletor has a fair head start on the heroes."

"Agreed Zodac. But I have faith that Eternia's Champion will once again save day, like he has on many previous occasions."

"That is true Sorceress. But none the less I feel compelled to offer some advice as this situation has the great potential to truly disrupt the Balance."

"Any help or advice you can offer will be greatly appreciated." The Sorceress responded gratefully to Zodac.

"Well I do believe that He-Man managed to gain a medallion from the fallen Minotaur guardian did he not?"

"Yes he did. In fact the Minotaur passed on the Medallion to He-Man with his dying breaths. There is something powerful about that Medallion. I could sense it even from all way back here at Castle Gray-Skull."

"That is true Sorceress. The Medallion is quite powerful and is the one and only thing that can banish Lucifer back to his realm should Skeletor succeed in his mad quest."

"This medallion is that powerful?" The Sorceress asked incredulously.

"Indeed it is. It was made by the Elders as a safe guard in case of future attempts were made to successfully free the demon. It was given to a guardian who was to safe guard it until a hero proven them selves worthy to receive its aid in battle."

"I see Zodac. Thank you very much for this knowledge. I am sure He-Man will put it to good use."

"Glad I could be of some assistance to help safe guard the balance. Farewell Sorceress, and May the Elders guide you and He-Man safely in this task." Zodac said, even as he teleported away from Castle Gray-Skull to attend to his many other cosmic duties.

The Sorceress took in a moment to take in the information that Zodac had given her, before she then went ahead to mentally contact He-Man and give him the update.

"_He-Man, I have some important news and information that will greatly help you in your quest."_

"_What is it Sorceress? Is it about Skeletor and the summoning jewels?" He-Man mentally asked back when as he continued to race towards his goal on Battle-Cat._

"_In a manner of speaking yes it does. It primary concerns that Medallion of Leadership that you were given by the brave Minotaur."_

"_The Medallion? Hmmm, Orko said that he could sense it has powerful magics in it, but he wasn't sure of what it was meant to do."_

"_The Medallion given to you by the Minotaur was made by the Elders themselves He-Man and it alone has the power to banish the demon Lucifer should Skeletor succeed in his latest mad scheme."_

"_Well it's good to know we have a fall back plan then Sorceress. But hopefully that won't be necessary as I intend to stop this madman before he reassembles the jewels."_

"_I wish you luck in this endeavor He-Man. But please hurry. Time grows short as Skeletor is already assaulting the doors of the lost temple, where the last summoning jewel lies."_

"_Don't worry Sorceress. I will make all haste and find a way to stop him." He-Man replied back to reassure the guardian of Castle Gray-Skull._

"_May the Elders guide you and your success He-Man." The Sorceress replied but finally breaking the mental communication with He-Man._

The Sorceress went back to her throne and sat back down again to keep monitoring the events as they unfolded. It appeared that things were nearing a head. Skeletor was close to gaining the last jewel fragment to reassemble the larger Summoning Jewel that he desired to free the demon Lucifer. On the other side of the coin however, He-Man and his allies were gaining on the villain and would soon be in a position to stop the villain. It was the ultimate race against time and evil, and the Sorceress prayed to the Elders that He-Man would once again prevail against his old nemesis.

"FOOLISH ONE! STOP WASTING YOUR TIME! TURN AWAY NOW MORTAL ONE." The spirit of the door mocked Skeletor's pathetic attempts to gain entry into the temple YET again as Skeletor saw that his efforts were currently proving to be worthless. This in turn only served to provoke Skeletor's murderous rage worse as he grew more frustrated as he knew that meddlesome oaf He-Man and his band of do-gooders would not be too far away.

_No! Not when I am this close to ultimate power! I will NOT be denied of my Victory! _

Skeletor mentally ranted as his frustration at his failure to gain entry into the Temple grew worse, which made his anger grow more murderous. This resulted in him using more powerful magic but the Door just laughed at his efforts so far to gain entry. It was then a wild idea popped into Skeletor's mind as he grew desperate to open the doors before He-Man and his friends arrived to stop him.

_It seems my magic alone will not be enough to open these stupid blasted stone doors! Perhaps if I combined my powers with the magic of the summoning jewel fragments already in my possession, it may prove enough to over come this stubborn door!_

"Prepare for destruction vile thing. I, the mighty Skeletor shall have the last laugh here! Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha!" Skeletor magically attached the summoning jewel fragments to his staff, then raised the newly adjusted Havoc Staff at the doors.

"NO WAIT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" The spirit of the doors asked in alarm once it realized what the mad man was up to.

"PREPARE TO FACE MY WRATH! No one denies me, the Mighty Skeletor!" Skeletor laughed and sneered evilly back at the spirit as he launched his magical attack.

This time Skeletor could see that his magical attack had done some real damage to the stone doors. They were now smoking dark smoke and had large cracks starting to appear in them.

"STOP FOOLISH MORTAL! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO UNLEASH UPON US ALL!" The door tried to warn Skeletor in desperation, but the Lord of Destruction would not bother evening listening.

"Oh but I do! And when I have the Summoning Jewel Ultimate power will be mine! So take this and get out of my way!" Skeletor sneered in response and fired off a more powerful magical blast. This time, Skeletor was successful and managed to completely destroy the stone doors barring his way into the lost temple.

"Ha, Ha! Success! And He-Man, my old nemesis – you soon will be next! Ha, ha, ha, ha!" Skeletor laughed evilly as he finally gained entrance into the lost temple.

Meanwhile back at the Jewel Chamber within the depths of the Minotaur Maze…

"By all that is dark and unholy, curse that bloody He-Man and his interfering fools! Did they really think these pitiful bindings could restrain me, the Mistress of Evil for Long? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Evil Lyn laughed cruelly as she finally managed to escape her bonds. She went and gathered her scepter before using her magic to free Beast-Man.

"Get up you lazy fool! We need to hurry to the Sands in Time to help Skeletor before those heroic do-gooders get there first!" Evil Lyn scolded the Beast-Man.

"Yes Evil Lyn." Beast-Man cowered in fear before Evil Lyn's magical power. After all, Beast-Man was no fool and knew that Evil Lyn was second only to Skeletor in terms of sheer magical power – despite how that fool of a magician Orko managed to hold her bay. _Probably divine intervention by the Elders, knowing the luck of those do-gooders. _Beast-Man thought.

"What are you waiting for fool?" Evil Lyn asked as she broke Beast-Man out of his thoughts.

"I've already cast the spell for the magic portal to take us to the Sands of Time. Hurry up!" Evil Lyn ordered.

"Yes Mistress." Beast-Man meekly replied as he obeyed and followed Evil Lyn through the Portal, which would take them both of the Sands of Time.

END OF CHAPTER NINE.


End file.
